


Too many nights with(out) you

by Auginess



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas Special, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Forced Marriage, I will add tags as I write, Ineffable Bureaucracy (Good Omens), Other, Self-Indulgent, Sharing a Bed, but like... very light angst, forced to live together, oh my god there was only one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2020-10-14 06:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 30,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20596568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auginess/pseuds/Auginess
Summary: Heaven and Hell decides in a secret council, that, after the Armageddon’t, they should try another strategy and start working together. To ensure the success of their plan they decide to follow an old human way of forging political alliances: Marriage of convenience





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heaven and Hell decides in a secret council, that, after the Armageddon’t, they should try another strategy and start working together. To ensure the success of their plan they decide to follow an old human way of forging political alliances: Marriage of convenience

Sandalphon had been the one elected by the emergency council to transmit the good news to Gabriel. No one else had dared to do It. It was impossible to guess what was going to be Gabriel’s reaction, but no one could guarantee all his angelic grace wasn’t going to fall on the messenger, so the angel was ready for everything.

Of course, he was not going alone. Half of the angels of the Council were with him, and a few demons as well, just to make clear both sides were together in this.

Gabriel was busy, working with earnest in the latest set of reports he had received, completely unware of what had been going under his nose for the last few weeks. If the decision hadn’t been taken a long time ago, they would take pity of him. He worked so hard for Heaven… God had made the right choice when she put him in charge.

Sandalphon knocked the door of his office.

“Come in!” Gabriel exclaimed from the other side of the crystal door. Sandalphon just opened the door but remained outside. He wanted to give Gabriel space, just in case he needed it….and he wanted to protect himself from whatever Gabriel threw at him.

“Gabriel. I have news for you”

“Oh, is the report about the situation in the middle East finished? I really want to read it as soon as possible”.

“No. We are talking about other kind of news. Related to your… position in Heaven”. Gabriel stood up as in shock after that statement. And then he saw it. The other angels behind Sandalphon. The demons.

“What…”

“After… you know… last week events, we decided it was necessary an emergency council. All the relevant angels. And we decided that a more collaborative approach between Up and Down might be handy to face the new challenges that for sure are coming. Angels that survive Hellfire, Demons that bath in Holy Water, the Antichrist choosing humanity… New times, new methods”.

To Gabriel two things became pretty obvious at that moment. First that Sandalphon had memorized the speech, and second, that the worst part was yet to come.

He wanted to ask why the fuck they thought they could just convene a Council without his consent and without him, but he didn’t. Right now, he had to get more important answers. He could always ask for explanations later.

“And you are telling me this because?”

“Because we consider you are a key part of this new… plan” Sandalphon gulped “You see, we investigated the most successful political alliances we could find. Of course all of them human, we haven’t try that path before”.

“Are you really telling me that now we take example from human?”

“No! I’m saying that for once we may adapt some of their strategies for our new plan”.

“The answer is no, whatever you plan on asking”. He said, his voice as cold as ice. He was actually scared, more scared than what he planned on admitting, but the thing was, he had never been questioned in his authority before and now Heaven _and Hell_ were both making decisions for him. That was unacceptable. It was more than unacceptable, it was…

“It is not a question, Gabriel” Sandalphon cut his train of thought. “The decision has been made. You either take it… or leave us”

“Leave you?” His voice sounded one octave higher than normal, panic pumping through his veins. “You are going to make me fall?”

“No. _No_. We do not plan on making you fall, Gabriel. But, you won’t be welcome in Heaven any more either. You’ll be an angel, but this won’t be your home anymore”

He felt dizzy. He felt nauseaus. He didn’t knew angels could feel nausea till then.

“What do you want from me?” He sounded defeated. Destroyed.

“Well, what we have learn from careful research is that the most stable alliances are those forged on convenience marriage” He took a deep breath. “We want you to marry Beelzebub, Prince of Hell”.

His mind went blank for a moment. Absolutely quiet. And then, a scream rung from within somewhere in his head. Thousand of thoughts, words, cries mixed up in his brain.

“Angels don’t believe in marriage” Was all he was able to say, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Oh, it won’t be real marriage, you see? It’s just politics”.

“But we will be married”.

“Yes, you will. And there will be a ceremony. Just to keep up with the appearances. And because an union between Heaven and Hell must be celebrated somehow”.

“To keep up with the appearances” He repeated.

“Yes, exactly”.

He just knew where all that was going, in the same way he knew it was better to know all the truth now and avoid more unpleasant surprises.

“And what else shall we do to keep up with appearances?”

“Of course, you will live together” If Gabriel breathed, he would have choked on air. He didn’t wanted Beelzebub here, but lord, he wanted even less having to go to hell. “Until the union is consolidated and we decide for a common ground for both Heaven and Hell we believe that the best thing is that you live on earth and try to pass as a human marriage. We believe that the convivence will be positive for our alliance”.

“Of course. One last question”

“Yes?”

“What does Beelzebub think of this?”

Sandalphon smiled dangerously.

“We will find soon. Is that a yes?”

Gabriel smiled weakly.

“I can’t say no”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Am I going to hell for shipping Beelzebub and Gabriel? IDK but I guess it's too late for me anyways. 
> 
> Kudos and comments keeps me going <3


	2. Chapter 2

Fifty demons surrounded Beelzebub’s office in a bad performed V formation. Hastur, who was at the head, was going to do the talking. He had always had bad luck.

A few angels were with them, including Miguel, who held a grail of Holy Water in his hands.

The demons didn’t want to walk around the bush with abstract threats. For them it was all or nothing. Obey or die.

It made more sense that way.

After all, angels could always elect another leader, but for demons, Beelzebub leaving hell would mean war. It was better to ensure their collaboration than to give them a chance to run away, like they did with Gabriel.

He knocked at the wooden door three times. Long seconds passed before the door opened and the Prince of Hell was before them. They looked around, unimpressed, until their eyes lied upon Miguel. A flash of something (that could be very well-hidden fear) shone in their eyes.

“Isz thisz because of that council” They asked, their voice smooth and somehow confident.

The smug look in most of the demons disappeared with those words. Many of them had been dreaming with that moment, with showing how powerful they were, with making them experience an ounce of the fear they inspired… But instead, Beelzebub looked somehow in control. It was unacceptable.

“How do you… Who told you?”

Beelzebub bared their teeth.

“You should know by now that I’m difficult to trick. So, let’s be quick, shall we? This isz what I know. Correct me if I’m wrong.” They said, with the exact tone of someone who knew they were absolutely right.

They looked around for a few seconds before they started talking again.

“Truth one, after the not apocalypse you were upszet. You convene a Council. ‘Oh, what are we going to do now that Satan isz sleeping and our war is aborted?’ “They said, in a mocking voice. 

Hastur nodded.

“Truth two, apparently” they glared coldly at the angels “you szpoke to Heaven because your sztupidity doesn’t know limits”.

The other demon didn’t nod this time, but didn’t say anything else.

“Truth three, you think you had a great idea and want something from me. Am I wrong?”

Hastur was shook, and so were most of their audience, but he somehow managed to conceal it. He had prepared a speech, some sweet and reasonable words, something to lessen the bow, but the Prince was having none of that.

Even better.

They will regret it. But that wasn’t his problem anymore.

“No, your highness”

“Good. Then have another truth. Whatever you want from me, the anszwer is no. You can’t go making decisions without taking into account your superiorsz”.

This, on the other hand, didn’t surprise anyone. Of course Beelzebub was going to say no.

“I— The decision we made is firm”

Beelzebub raised an eyebrow in what could be a quiet question. Hastur wasn’t sure, but he decided to take it as one and kept talking.

“We want an alliance between Heaven and Hell. And we want to formalise that alliance using the old human method of convenience marriage” He took a deep breath and forced himself not to whisper the next words “You are to marry the Archangel Gabriel and create a stable union between Them and Us”.

Beelzebub laughed. It was a joke. It must be a fucking joke. No one else laughed and the sound in their mouth became strangled as they saw the serious faces of everyone around them. Only then they were truly conscious of the number of demon around them and the implicit threat they held.

The Archangel Gabriel.

To say they hated him was an understatement. Their whole being was somehow repulsed when they were near them.

So full of himself, so superficially good. He was always the best on everything he tried, and, when surpassed by anyone, rules changed to favour him again.

He believed he was God’s favourite child, and the truth was that, he probably was.

Hastur decided to use their shocked silence to keep talking.

“There will be a ceremony and a treaty, of course. Then you’ll go to live together on Earth and act like a convincing marriage to keep humans from prying until we decided upon a new location for the head office”.

To live with Gabriel.

That sounded like some kind of personal hell, much worse than the real thing, that for sure.

“I don’t want to” They said, so low that they doubted people in the back hear them.

“You don’t have an option. You either do it or, well…” there was an uncomfortable silence “Death by Holy Water”. He pointed with his head to Miguel and only then Beelzebub recognized what he had on his hands.

Fear took over their nervous system.

“Sszo, you are telling me I either marry the sztupid asszzhole of Gabriel or I am to facze deszctruction?”

The flies around them buzzed so hard they practically vibrated. It was humiliating to have their fear and powerlessness showing so hard.

“Yes”

Beelzebub took a deep breath that felt shallow on their lungs. They didn’t want to die. They were too scared from the nothing behind destruction to even consider that as an option. Everything else could be solved somehow, even if the only way out was killing an archangel, but destruction was definitive.

They didn’t have a choice, did they?

Beelzebub swallowed and looked briefly at the ceeling. They will think of something. They could buy themselves some time, and then, regain control over Hell.

It was not the first time they faced rebellion, after all. But it was the first time Hell and Heaven rebelled at the same time, a very unhelpful voice in their head noted.

“Then juszt send me a report with all the detailsz of the new arrangement szometime thisz week” They made a gesture to turn around, then stopped “Oh, and believe me, you’ll pay for thisz. And you can’t imagine how much it will hurt”. Just wait till Satan wakes up, they didn’t add. They didn’t want to look like their whole power relayed on Him. But honestly, with half hell against them, it sorts of did.

Beelzebub hoped they were able to put enough venom in their voice to scare them at least a bit, but they weren’t sure. All they were able to hear in their words was the pain of the treason filling empty threats. It hurt.

They close the door behind them and after a small demonic miracle to make sure no one could see or hear what was going on inside, they collapsed on the floor and started crying.

Beelzebub had never felt so powerless, so small, so betrayed and humiliated as in that moment. They cried of anger, sadness, frustration and fear. They cried like they hadn’t cry since the Fall. It somehow felt like falling again, equally overwhelming. They tried to whisper to themselves that everything was going to be alright, that they will find a way out. But somehow, they couldn’t find the strength inside them to believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and kudos!! They made my week and really motivated me to keep going <3
> 
> I really hope you liked this chapter as well. I have the story sketched in my head but I may accept some ideas if there is something you really want to read, so let me know!
> 
> If you want to read updates about the fic (or just want a new friend) come and say hi on tumblr (@augigoeswriting)
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	3. Chapter 3

The ceremony, no, the _wedding_ was on Earth, of course. Angels and Demons could agree on forcefully marrying their leaders but couldn’t give in and just choose either Heaven or Hell for something like that. It was pathetic.

They needed neutral ground for everything and still pretended an alliance.

What Beelzebub hated the most, the most humiliating thing of the whole farce, was that they had consult them over different aspects of the ceremony.

“_Is your wedding after all”_ They said.

It made Beelzebub contort with anger. They didn’t want to be treated as some sort of bride who had been dreaming for years about their wedding day.

They didn’t answer that stupid question, of course. But, apparently, Gabriel did. He wanted Paris. Their demon of honour or whatever had told them that he had always liked that city. Beelzebub assumed they thought it was a good idea to let them know those small details about their future husband, but it made it worse. Beelzebub didn’t want to know how much he loved the light of Paris or sunny winter mornings o whatever other fuckery Gabriel liked to entertain himself with.

Beelzebub only wanted to wake up and discover that it was all a nightmare.

They didn’t and that’s how they ended one summer night, in front of the Louvre’s pyramid, that was , for the first time in decades, miraculously deserted. Demons and angels stood up at both sides of the “altar” which was just a table with two chairs and a treaty to sign.

Gabriel walked towards were they waited, near the table, hundreds of eyes on him. His face was relaxed, a hint of a smile showing in his lips, but they could see in the way he walked, in his eyes, a tension building they recognised as their own. An awful song played miraculously while he walked. It was a bridal song, that much the demon knew. If the composer was in Hell, they were making sure their punishment was extra painful this century.

Beelzebub hadn’t allowed any song to play while they walked to the altar. They wanted it to be awkward, to let them know how much of a big mistake they were making.

However, Gabriel didn’t care that much, and somehow the bridal song suited him. For someone that was so obviously wishing to run away, the music and the aesthetic made him look like he owned the situation.

He had dressed up in a three-piece silver suit with purple details, which Beelzebub bet he thought it brought up his eyes. The worst part was that it was truth, the purple of his irises shinning somehow more vividly. He had styled his hair backwards and he looked sharper in the soft light of the streetlamps.

Beelzebub had dressed up too. They had considered not doing it and just choosing their worst clothing out of spite, but they new it would only make them look bad. It would bee too obvious what they were doing, and the humiliation would had been even greater. So, they had opted to do the exact opposite thing: Look so good that it would appear they owned the situation. It had been Gabriel’s move as well. Great mind, think alike and all that.

They were even wearing a dress.

Contrary to popular belief, Beelzebub did like dresses. They were the ultimate expression of dress to kill, in their opinion. And it fit quite well their aesthetic. However, Hell wasn’t the best place to wear them. Everything they tried wearing there always ended either broken or dirty, sometimes both. That’s why they never wore nice clothing while they were Down.

The dress was dreamy, made of thousands of capes of opaque navy-blue tissue, loosely tied up in the middle, and floating with the wind around them. The only part of their body that remained visible were their shoulders, with the sleeves covering up their hands and a elegant turtle neck instead of neckline. They were wearing as well a cape that expertly imitated the wings of a fly and a black crown with green bugs on it as a symbol of power.

When Gabriel reached to them, his eyes roamed over their body. They made sure to do the same, just to make him uncomfortable.

“Nice dress” He said. Beelzebub smiled. If he said that much, it means he was actually loving the dress. Gabriel liked clothing too much, mostly on himself, but he could admire it on others too.

And there they thought vanity was a sin. 

“I know”

They had to sit down, side by side, during a too long ceremony where great words about the power of an alliance were spoken. Beelzebub snorted loudly a few time.

“Now” Dagon said “Do you have some words prepared, as the leaders of this great alliance”.

Good attempt to make them feel included, thanks Dagon, Beelzebub thought.

“No” Said Gabriel. His voice was hard, cold. And it was probably the first time Beelzebub saw him rejecting an opportunity to give a speech.

They thought about doing the same. Refusing to act as a leader, punishing them with their silence. It will hurt, they knew it.

It would be an elegant way of showing how much they hated it. It would be the way of refusing to make this an official act, making clear once more that they were both against this wedding.

However, Beelzebub had always been a bit petty.

What was the worst thing they could say?

“I do have zsomthing to szay” They stood up. “ My dearz, there isz not going to be greatnesz for Heaven and Hell becauzse their power comez from their confrontation. The greatness of Heaven isz thwarting Hell’s wilesz. The greatnessz of Hell is tempting humansz away from Heaven. What will you do when you can’t do that? Have you even thought about it?”

Beelzebub could keep going. They had had enough time to think about why it was a bad idea in the last few days. But Dagon didn’t allow them. This was not the moment for a political statement, apparently. They were here only for their dignity to be violated.

“Enough! Thank you, your highness. Now, please, open up the treaties by the signing page”

They obeyed. At their side, Gabriel closed his eyes, writing feather in his hand.

Dagon went on summarizing to the public the key points of the treaty.

“Don’t want to do thisz?” They whispered.

“Don’t mock me. Of course I don’t”

“What did they threaten you with that wasz worsze than me? Destruction?”

“Destruction is not worse than you”

That made them shut up. Not because they were hurt by Gabriel’s words, but rather because their mind was racing, trying to guess what had been the threat. Partly because they wanted the power of something that could really hurt Gabriel, partly out of curiosity.

They got so distracted that Dagon had to tell them twice to sign the treaty.

They wrote their name and title in their best, fancier handwriting and exchanged the document with Gabriel, signing again. His name was written in endless loops that Beelzebub knew well, even though today they looked a bit off.

Uriel came closer to continue the rest of the ceremony.

“Congratulations” She said.

“Fuck off” The prince of Hell answered, without missing a beat.

Uriel just smiled beatifically.

“We, the members of the Council, are happy to make you a present for your marriage” She announced, offering them a black leather box.

She opened it.

Two gold rings lied on top of the velvet cushions of the box.

Beelzebub felt like they wanted to scream.

“No way. I’m not wearing thosze”. Their voice sounded strained. They didn’t know that much about human culture, but they did know that those rings showed belonging. Two people wore them to show the rest of the world they were taken by another person. Humans saw it as romantic, but for Beelzebub it was humiliating.

Uriel shook her head.

“It is not a question. The rings are for your own security. They’ll stop you from hurting each other. Something very necessary, given that we can’t trust you for doing it”.

And there went their plan of killing Gabriel.

TO be honest, they hadn’t really consider seriously killing him. It was more a last resource they liked having.

It hadn’t really been taken from them, of course. One could always take the ring off. Beelzebub suspected it was not going to be as easy as sliding if off their finger, but they doubted it was impossible.

“As if you could sztop me from doing it with a zstupid ring” Wrong answer. They knew it as the words left their mouth, but couldn’t stop themselves.

It got quite a reaction from their Public, but Gabriel didn’t even blink.

Uriel smiled with sufficiency.

“I think our point has been proved, right?” He turned to Gabriel “Please, put the ring on them”. He froze by their side.

“Oh, now we are putting the rings on each other? How cute, Uriel. Truly moving” Beelzebub said.

“Stop bickering. You are just embarrassing yourself. The treaty is signed, acting like a child will take you nowhere”

Those words hurt. It made them feel like belittled, and honestly, no one had dared to talk to them like that in millennia. They’ll make her pay. Beelzebub tried to find something witty or at least petty to answer, but their mind went blank.

“Gabriel, please, the ring” Uriel repeated, softly.

The angel moved softly by her side, getting the smaller ring from the box and turning to them. Beelzebub felt like they wanted to say something, anything to break his momentum, but words didn’t come out. Gabriel took their hand in one of his and with the other he slide the ring on. He didn’t do it in a rushed way, but he didn’t do it slowly either. His warm hand didn’t linger on their skin and their eyes only met for a second before he took a step backwards. However, to Beelzebub it was a small eternity because, they realized, their hands had never touched until that day, and all of a sudden, it was too much to process.

The ring tightening against their finger brought them back to reality.

They took the other ring, without being told anything and put it on Gabriel. He had already presented his hand to them, so they didn’t hold it, there was no need after all, but still the touch was somehow alien. Beelzebub felt as if that simple gesture took all their energy, shutting up the rest of the stimuli of the world while they realized they were touching an angel for the first time in their life (in a non-torture situation).

Gabriel took his hand away as soon as he fekt the ring tightening against him.

“How does this work, exactly?” Gabriel asked. Beelzebub rolled their eyes. That was the kind of question to ask _before _putting the ring on.

“Oh, well, when any of you try to harm the other it will stop you from doing so”

“How?” Beelzebub asked.

“To be honest, I don’t know the details. What I know, though, is that it will also help to create harmony between you two”.

Create harmony, yeah sure.

“How?” asked Gabriel.

“Again, I don’t know. You will discover it soon” Uriel smiled in quite a sickening way.

She turned around to the public. Beelzebub had almost forgotten they were there.

“And now, I think we can declare you officially married” There were some cheers in the background “Traditionally humans kiss to seal the union, but that seems rather unprofessional, so we won’t have you do it” Uriel laughed at her own joke, as if it had been hilarious. It actually made Beelzebub sick.

We won’t have you do it, she had said, as if they had the power to force them to do anything they wanted. Probably they had it and that thought was more than what Beelzebub could take.

“I think that a handshake and a hug will be enough for now” Uriel added.

They looked at each other for a few seconds before they actually moved. Gabriel extended his hand and Beelzebub imitated him, shaking it as firmly as they could manage. It was hard to keep eye contact with him right now, they realized.

Beelzebub had been this close to Gabriel before, they had shook his hand briefly once or twice in their life. And definitely they had never had trouble looking at him in the eye.

But somehow, now that he was his husband, that gesture felt way more intimate.

They were not real spouses, Beelzebub knew it. But somehow that word and the ring changed so many things.

Their hands parted and Gabriel stepped closer into their personal space and awkwardly opened his arms. Beelzebub returned the gesture, letting the archangel cover them with their body and embracing him.

Beelzebub knew that the hug lasted less than a few seconds, but somehow it felt way too long. Their skin itched with the new sensation, but once they parted, they didn’t find relief. Instead, loosing Gabriel’s heat just made them shiver, partially with cold, partially with relief.

Uriel looked at them with a sly smile.

“I think we should we going to the party now. The treaty must be celebrated, right? It’s an historical event after all”. She gave them a significative look.

Beelzebub made sure to put on their best poker face before muttering an after you and gesturing Gabriel to lead the path. He did step forward, but then, he offered them his arm in an obvious gesture.

_Of course. _

Beelzebub laced their arm with his, feeling him tense by their side. It was weird, they thought, if he so obviously disliked the situation, that he kept playing their game. Then again, Beelzebub supposed that Gabriel probably just didn’t know how to rebel. He had been educated, programmed even, to comply every order at the best of his ability.

Maybe he just didn’t know how to say no.

They pushed those thoughts apart as they walked between the angels and demons. Beelzebub tried as hard as they could not to look at them. They didn’t want to see their subordinates looking at their humiliation, and more importantly, they didn’t want to see those demons they had thought their allies (and, not that they were ever admitting it, but also their friends) allowing everything to happen. Maybe even happy about it.

It was just way too hard having to face their treason.

They sighed softly.

How do you prepare to the gloomiest party of your life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ASDFG THE CEREMONY (part one)
> 
> I hope you like it and that lives up to your expectations!!!!
> 
> Feed me kudos (and comments if you can) or I might just die
> 
> Come and watch me be extra dumb in tumblr: @augigoeswriting


	4. Chapter 4

The party was at Versailles, of course. 

Gabriel himself hadn’t ask for that detail, but it was alright. The castle was quite nice, and he guessed that, had he been feeling more festive, he would be truly enjoying the sight of it. 

There were two identical thrones sitting side by side in one of the sides of the great dancing hall. They had sat down as soon as they arrived and hadn’t move since. The thrones had been unmarked, so they had just sat where they had seen fit. However, he had known immediately that they had guessed it wrong: Beelzebub’s feet didn’t touch the floor and his knees bent uncomfortably.

The problem was solved miraculously fast, before anyone but them notice. 

There was alcohol and some food on large wooden table, but only a few of the guests were actually having anything at all (and honestly, it was mostly alcohol). It was there for the aesthetic mostly.

Gabriel himself wasn’t up to consume human substances, but right now he wouldn’t mind at all getting drunk. 

He heard some humans drank to evade themselves and he sure could use some evasion right now. 

He gazed over one of the human that was serving the drinks, totally unaware of what kind of wedding he was witnessing. The human looked back at him and got a few steps closer. By his side Beelzebub signalled him to come. 

“Congratulations on the wedding”. He said, cheerfully. Gabriel gave him a wry smile and Beelzebub grunted. 

“Thank you” Venom dripped in their voice. They grabbed the one of the champagne glass and emptied in one gulp. 

Then they took another. 

“From now on, I don’t want to have an empty glassz in my hand. If I were you I would make szure I alwayzs have szomething to drink. Have I made myszelf clear?”

Now, Gabriel couldn’t swear it but he was pretty sure that Beelzebub did a little demonic something to scare the shit out of the waiter. 

“… yes. I mean, yes Sir, of course! Anything you want.”

Beelzebub grabbed a third glass. 

“Excellent”. Then they smiled, quite pleased with themselves. 

Gabriel itched with the need to say something.

“You scared him” Gabriel said. Beelzebub looked at him.

“Szo?” They answered with the exact tone of someone who didn’t care at all.

Gabriel sighed and tore his eyes from them to looked back to the party. Demons and angels in the same space, without fighting, without chaos, maybe even talking. 

Just like them. 

Maybe it was working. Maybe the alliance was meant to be. Or maybe it was just the novelty, angels and demons being curious about each other for one night, knowing that the next day their lives will go on as if nothing weird happened. 

But not his life. Because tomorrow he would still be the husband of the Lord of Hell and he was sure that sunlight will only make it worse.

He shook away those thoughts. He didn’t want to dwell in self compassion, not when nothing could help him. 

“Nothing. I suppose that’s what you do” Beelzebub raised an eyebrow. “But it’s not his fault, you know. For all he knows we married willingly”. 

Beelzebub laughed silently. 

“Oh, but we married willingly, didn’t we? We were given a choice. They’ll never let usz forget that. We chozse thisz, Gabriel, my darling”. The drawn out the last word in the nastiest way possible and Gabriel flinched. 

He did not chose that, there was not choice to be made when the other option was isolation. Expulsion from heaven. His literal nightmare since the first Fall. 

He didn’t add anything else and didn’t say a word for a while. 

It took Beelzebub two more champagne glasses to speak to him again. 

“Do you want szzome? It will make you feel better” They slurred. 

“I don’t think it would” The mere thought of getting human substance in his body made him slightly nauseous. 

Beelzebub shrugged.

“Whatever. Let me know if you change your mind”. And took another sip. From across the room, the waiter gazed nervously to their direction, keeping an eye on how full the glass was. 

Gabriel looked at him and then directed his eyes to the party again. A few more angels and demon had joining drinking apparently. He was especially surprised when he saw Miguel with a half empty glass of champagne in her hands. 

Why would she try it?

“How does it make you feel exactly?” He asked, finally.

“Uh? You mean the alcohol? Warm at firszt. Then dumb, then numb. Can be quite fun”

“I see”. He muttered, more to himself than to Beelzebub.

He let the conversation die and didn’t say anything else.He just didn’t feel like talking anymore. He was too tired for that. 

It had been a while since he felt that tired, he realised. So tired that the world around him slowed down and warm crept up his body as his eyelids become heavy.

The feeling wasn’t completely new to him. Contrary to popular belief, Gabriel knew what sleep was. He had slept before, during some of the hardest time of his life, when everything was too much and his body payed the price of the stress.

That didn’t mean, of course, that he slept every time he felt tired. He could fight sleep for as long aa he wanted. He was not human,after all, he didn't _ need _ it. But it was nice. And, talking about ways of numbing oneself, it was probably better than alcohol. 

Besides him Belzebub emptied another glass.

*****

When Uriel came to them, Beelzebub was not drinking anymore. They were drowsing off on their throne, deeply intoxicated and only half conscious. Gabriel was fighting hard to keep himself straight and looking as composed and awoke as he could manage.

She gave him a beatific smile.

"Enjoying yourself?" She asked.

"Very". Gabriel wasn't one to use sarcasm, mostly because he sometimes had trouble getting it, but he couldn't help himself.He was way too pissed off with everyone in general and with her in particular to stop himself.

"Not as much as your spouse though". She counteracted. 

The comment bothered Gabriel, but not as much as the fact that it bothered him.

He just glared at her.

"What do you want now?"

"I'm glad you asked. As you'll remember, we told you that we would find you a place where you could, er, coexist in order to… strengthen your bond". Gabriel snorted. 

"Is not something easy to forget"

"I suppose not. I am here to take you to your new home in earth, which I hope, will be of your liking"

Gabriel just grimaced in response. He had many questions he wanted to ask, but, at the same time, he didn't want to show any weaknesses.

If they knew what worried him, they would explode it. He was sure. After all he knew those angels as if they were his siblings.

"After you" He said, calmly.

Uriel opened a white light portal before him and signaled him to go inside. Gabriel took a step forward.

"Wait a minute"

Uriel raised and eyebrow.

"Beelzebub can't follow us, right? The heaven light will hurt them" Uriel laughed dryly.

"I wouldn't worry about them, Dagon will take them there anytime now” They looked pointenly at him “I hope you don't have any more questions and we can keep going?"

"Don't worry" . His voice sounded strangled. He understood the hurry Uriel was in. Heaven was always so _ busy _, but still, it felt unnecessary cruel. 

And he did had one more question.

Could they get out the house? That is to say, was he a prisoner or no?

From head of heaven to prisoner in earth, what a ride.

Uriel coughed besides him, impatient. Gabriel took a deep breath and stepped into the light. 

Next thing he knew, he was in a small and dark living room, with Uriel besides him.

"I think you will find it adequate. It is decorated to look like a human house".

Gabriel nodded. He had imagined that much. The lights were off, but he didn't need them to see that the angel wasn’t lying. 

He didn’t had much time to take in his surroundings when from the ground, a hellish light rose. Beelzebub and Dagon appeared, the former laying heavily on the master of files, utterly intoxicated.

Beelzebub barely looked around them before tripping ino Dagon’s arm.

"Bed" They manage to order, and begun to stumble in their way to the stairs, with the other demon obligingly helping them. 

Uriel tsked in disapproval of the scene and then looked back at the archangel once more, her discomfort painfully evident.

"I suppose you don't need me anymore". She said, and, without waiting for an answer, she disappeared surrounded by powerful white light.

Gabriel sighed, slightly relieved. It was not that he personally liked Beelzebub company, but it was less violent than Uriel's. Or at least now, that they both were on the same boat.

He walked once around the living room. It was cosy, with a wooden table in the center of the room, a fireplace, one sofa and two half empty bookshelves. He headed out of the room and into the kitchen, which had a crystal door to the outside and a smaller table. He didn't care much about the kitchen honestly and was way too exhausted to go outside. 

Upstairs there were three closed doors. He started with the one at his right. It was a big, uncluttered room, quite obviously an office. It only had a big working desk, a chair and a shelf for the archives. On the desk there was a new bright computer. 

The room had a door that lead to the contiguous room, that was almost identical to the first one.

Two work areas, Gabriel thought. He was quite surprised that after their little coup d'etat angels and demons wanted them to keep their position, but then again they were not easy to replace.

He got out of the the offices and opened the last room. It was a bedroom, with rich curtains, a big wooden wardrobe and a king sized bed. There was another door, which, Gabriel assumed, lead to the bathroom.

On the the bed, Beelzebub lied, snoring softly.

The archangel headed out the bedroom, closing the door softly. He could really use some sleep right now as well, but there was only one bed. It was big for two, but climbing onto the bed near a sleeping Beelzebub felt too awkward to be even considered an option. Besides, he strongly doubted that the Prince of Hell would consent to sharing a bed with him, and he wasn’t going to force himself into their personal space. 

He went downstairs, miracled himself a light blanket and lied on the sofa.

He closed his eyes and sleep claimed him immediately. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to go full there was only one bed mode, but finally went against it. Sorry, darlings. 
> 
> know this chapter took a bit longer than expected, but university took all my time :( Next chapter will be up in two/three weeks, but in november I hope I'll be back in the weekly update schedule. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter <3
> 
> Thanks for reading and thanks for the comments/kudos!! I can't believe that so many people are really liking this lol.


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing Beelzebub noticed when they awoke was the  _ light _ beyond their eyelids. Sunlight. When had been the last time sun had woken them up? Probably before the Fall.

The next thing they notice was that they forgot to sober up last night. Their head felt like it was going to explode anytime soon.

Beelzebub groaned and miracled the hangover away. 

They closed their eyes and curled again on the bed, they could use some sleep. But their efforts to rest were to no use, there was something terribly wrong around them.

And by terribly wrong, Beelzebub meant, way too nice. The bed was soft, unlike the rough couch in their office in hell, the sunlight made the room bright and warm. 

Beelzebub knew they were in their new house. That had been their third thought after waking up. Marrying someone you detest is not something one could forget easily after all. 

They sighed. They won't be able to sleep. The room was too comfortable and their brain was racing between anxious thoughts and flashbacks of last night.

They got out of bed and looked around them. The bedroom was decorated in warm, bright colours, that matched nicely with the old wooden furniture. The wool blanket on the bed felt homemade, and so did the sunflower embroidery on the curtains.

For a moment Beelzebub wondered who used to live there before them and what had happened to them. Not that they care, of course. 

They opened the balcony and the soft breeze caresses their skin. Below them, a beautiful flower field grew. They could see vineyards and a small town not far away. 

Everything looked so… peaceful. If it wasn't for the circumstances that brought them there, they could enjoy immensely being there.

They went inside again, but let the balcony open. Fresh air in their room was a luxury they wanted to enjoy.

They left the bedroom to explore the rest of the house. The corridor had some landscape paintings on the wall and Beelzebub ran their fingers over them, feeling the textures. They opened the next door and immediately knew they didn't belong there. Two connected cold offices, stripped of any decoration, intended so that Gabriel and them could work. 

They wondered what were those rooms before the angels and demons decided to use that house. 

The upper floor didn't had anything else of their interest so they went downstair. 

The living room was even more bright than the bedroom, but it was equally decorated in warm colours, wood furniture and embroidered curtains with bookshelves full with books and other little things.

Beelzebub could barely contain a gasp when they saw Gabriel asleep on the couch, one arm over his eyes, one leg on the floor and the mouth half open. 

_ Gabriel slept? _ That was a surprise. Beelzebub always thought he was more the "I will deprive myself from anything to resist temptation" kind of angel. 

They giggled to themselves. The head manager of heaven was sleeping in a couch much smaller than him because their hated spouse had collapsed in the only bed of a stolen house. It was ridiculous. If their life was going to be that surrealist, at least they could take it with some humour. 

They left the room silently as to not wake Gabriel up and went into the kitchen, that was bathed in the golden lights of the early morning. Beelzebub opened the cabinets and fridge and found that there was still food inside them. Milk that hadn't turn sour yet, fruit in perfect condition and a jar of homemade cookies that smelled fresh.

Someone had been living there until probably yesterday. Someone that today won't even remember that they once had this. 

Good for them, Beelzebub thought. Knowing what you've lost was always the hardest part.

They searched for the coffeemaker, humans always had one, they still felt that they were so tired and needed some help to wake up.

They got the cookies as well and sat at the kitchen table while the coffee boiled. A strong whistle let them know that it was ready.

They poured it into a yellow cup (someone here used to love yellow) with milk and sugar. They had barely had a sip of it when muffled footstep let them know that Gabriel was up.

He stopped by the kitchen door and they looked at each other, startled. Gabriel was still wearing last night suit, only that this time he didn't look composed at all, with his hair disheveled and the makeup smudged underneath his eyes.

It was then when Beelzebub realized they hadn't changed either, so probably they looked as demacred as Gabriel, with a wrinkled dress and their hair sticking out in weirdly. If they weren't a demon, they would feel self conscious.

"Good morning" said Gabriel, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"Morning" They answer. He step forward tentatively and Beelzebub realized that he was barefoot, which for some reason, made everything worse.

"Having breakfast?" He asked, conversationally.

Beelzebub huffled.

" Oh, now we are doing szmall talk? What'sz next? I'll tell you how my day went and we'll cuddle in the szofa?"

Gabriel let his hand to his sides and groaned. He suddenly looked so tired.

"I'm just… For God's sake Beelzebub I am just trying to make things easier!"

"You are juszt being an idiot"

"And you a Bitch" It felt weird hearing Gabriel using that word against them. Mostly because he had never insulted them before. That was more their thing.

"Well, it's part of the job description"

Gabriel laughed.

"Of course. Was marrying an angel part of the job description as well?"

"Not originally. But making them suffer? That'sz the core function"

"Are you threatening me?"

"At all. Why, are you szcared?"

"The only thing that scares me is having deal with an idiot like you for the rest of my life" It was meant to come out like an insult, but to Beelzebub it felt more like a confession.

They hesitated for a moment. 

"Then why don't you take your assz outside the fucking houzse? Maybe you could talk about your feelingsz to szome plants, they can't run away from you after all"

Gabriel eyes shot up to meet theirs.

"Can we actually go outside?"

"I supposze"

"Have you tried it?"

"Nope. But do you really think they would have trapped uzs here?"

"Yes"

Beelzebub shrugged. They didn't believe so, at least no if they wanted them to survive a week together. Plus, they had already won, the marriage had been arranged, so, why bother on locking them up?. 

"Why don't you check it?" They said, pointing with their head to the door.

He walked towards it but stopped midway.

"Why don't  _ you _ check it?"

"Becausze if szomehow the door disintegratezs one of usz, I would be a greater lossz" They grinned.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and opened the door. He flinched, waiting for something, but the only thing he felt was the soft summer breeze. 

He let his breath out, tentatively. 

"Hey idiot" Beelzebub called out "Humansz wear shoesz outzside"

The angel looked over his shoulder, sighed, and manifested some shoes on. He then proceeded to walk away, without closing the door.

Sadly, he didn't die.

Beelzebub groaned and stood up to close the door.

As they sat down again, they notice a dull pain of a headache. 

They sighed.

Not again.

That kind of pain was way too familiar to them. They had been having them since the fall, random headaches that couldn't be miracled away. 

Most of the time they were bearable, but sometimes they felt like holy fire melting their brain.

Please Satan, let this one be tolerable, they thought. They just didn’t have the strength to deal with that right now.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... The first day of the rest of their lives. I hope you liked it more than them lol. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments or come and yell at me in tumblr (@augigoeswriting)
> 
> Thank you for reading and have a great day <3


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriel closed his eyes, enjoying the sunlight. He was free.

He could go wherever he wanted to.

Except maybe heaven. He didn’t think he could stand their hypocrisy, their betrayal, right now. Because he knew what would happen. They would ignore the wound they had open and just go on as if nothing had changed. Even when, for him, everything had changed.

So, Gabriel walked, ignoring the flowers, the fresh grass and the summer breeze, because he could go wherever he wanted to, except for the one place he truly wanted to go.

How ironic. He had accepted the marriage with Beelzebub to not be cast out of Heaven, but now he felt like he would never belong there again.

As if he was stained, now that he was affiliated with a demon.

And the fact that Beelzebub looked as disgusted with the idea as he was only made things worse.

A heavy weight landed on his chest.

Gabriel knew that it was that damn situation. The feeling that he had lost it all.

Of course, Gabriel knew he hadn’t loosed it all. That was impossible. He still was an archangel, he still was God’s messenger. He still had Grace. Therefore, no matter what those psychos thought, he could go back to Heaven. Reclaim his position. His power.

The only thing he needed was some alone time. Put his thoughts in order. A new suit maybe. And then he’ll be ready for work again, he would just need to appear in Wednesday meeting and… And afterwards he would have to return to that fucking house in the fucking earth with the fucking prince of Hell as his spouse.

He wanted to scream. He needed to scream, because the weight on his chest was moving up to his throat and his whole body felt electrified with a tension he was not used to.

He was on flames, burning with rage, frustration, humiliation, powerlessness and something he wouldn’t call hate, because angels didn’t hate other angels.

He was on flames and needed to scream. But he didn’t.

He kept himself as composed as always, breathing through the fire in his veins. He had faced temptations no other angel could have resisted without so much as blinking. He wouldn’t scream now, wouldn’t loose control.

He wouldn’t give anyone the satisfaction of watching him break apart, even if holding himself together was the last thing he did.

He was starting to feel dizzy with a tension he couldn’t name. He felt he had too much energy inside his body and all that energy was urging him to _run_. To fly away. As if he was in immediate danger and had to start moving _now_. But at the same time, the weight in his chest grew bigger and he was grateful he didn’t need to breath, because he wasn’t sure he could do it right now.

He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and ran, obeying an urge of his body for the first time in his life.

It helped, somewhat. His skin stopped itching with the need to fly and for a few seconds, he felt exhilarated. He ran through the small streets of the village, without looking at the houses or the humans. Without looking behind.

He ran until he was again in the countryside. He ran until he felt the urge to stop. And then, he just let himself fall to the ground.

He was tired, which was unusual in him.

During the time he had been running the sun had changed its place, hanging now a bit lower than what it did, and the weight in his chest had grew.

How was even possible? He didn’t know, but the urge to run was greater now. He was practically buzzing will a negative energy that practically hurt. He felt unsafe, anxious and so hot. 

It was overwhelming. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to break something, throw something, kill something.

He wanted to pour that awful feeling inside him into something, anywhere as long as it was outside of him, but he couldn’t.

He needed to make it stop, because he could as well faint if it didn’t.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to gain some clarity, but pulled his hands away immediately.

Touching his face hurt. No, it burnt.

He looked at his empty hands in confusion until he noticed the golden ring in his finger. He touched it tentatively and found it scalding hot.

And then he understood the need to fly, the weight in his chest, everything. And he understood as well that it wouldn’t stop. Not until he came back to Beelzebub.

He had been running in the wrong direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> As I said in tumblr I'm doing Nano for this fanfic and another project I have, so hopefully I will upload again this week (can't promise anything). I've never tried doing Nano before, but let's see how it goes. 
> 
> If you want to find me on Tumblr I'm : Augi-goes-writing and on Nano I'm Auginess
> 
> Comments and Kudos are what motivates me the most to write so they are very appreciated. 
> 
> Thanks for reading <3


	7. Chapter 7

Beelzebub’s head was on fire. Or at least it felt like they imagined humans felt when they put their head in a raging fire, a classic Hell torture. It felt like they could discorporate from the pain, but from experience, they knew it wasn’t possible.

Although now they were starting to doubt it. After all, they had never experienced a headache that bad.

It was the fucking ring, punishing them from running away from each other.

Fuck it. Once they could think again, they’ll take the damn thing out, even if it meant loosing a finger.

The sound of the door opening snapped them out of their thoughts.

“Beelzebub? Where are you?” Gabriel asked. He sounded strained, in pain. The demon couldn’t help but wonder how the ring was affecting him. Was it a headache too? Or something else entirely?

“In the living room” They answered. Beelzebub tried to sit straight in the sofa where they were laying, groaning as they did so.

“Are you alright?”

Beelzebub glared at him. They literally were in one of the biggest pains they ever felt, eyes blurred with tears from the constant thumping of their head, looking like a fucking mess, and yet the angel had the nerve to ask that.

“Obviouszly no, you idiot!” For Hell’s sake how could he be so dense all the time.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone. Now that I know there will be consequences, I’ll try not to”. He lowered his eyes. Beelzebub wanted to snap at him, because it was true, all this, all the pain, was his fault.

However, they refrained from it. Because as dumb as it sounded, it had not gone unnoticed how the first thing they had asked was how they were feeling. Or how the next thing had been an apology.

Two things that Beelzebub was definitely not used to getting, but still appreciated.

“Is okay. We couldn’t know. Probably was their plan, those asszholes, let us to diszcover how awful this ring could make us feel on our own”

“Sounds like my lot” Gabriel smiled weakly.

“Szoundsz like my lot, too”. If Beelzebub was surprised by Gabriel acknowledging the cruelty of Heaven, they didn’t let it show. Then, as if it was a second thought, they added. “Doesz it hurt you too much?”

Gabriel’s eyes shot up, as if he wasn’t expecting the question. Truth to be told, Beelzebub was just as surprised.

“I wouldn’t say it hurts, I just feel anxious in the worst way possible. Can hardly breath. You?”

“A headache szo sztrong it could be considered torture”

“Well then, just like all this…” Gabriel signalled the room they were in “whatever this is”. It was a pathetic attempt to be humorous.

Beelzebub sighed. They didn’t want Gabriel to like them, Gabriel was an asshole, and this wasn’t the first headache they got because of him. But being called a torture by him was somehow less flattering than when it happened in Hell. Surprisingly less flattering, actually.

“How do we fix it?” Partly to stop themselves from falling into self-pity and partly because, well, they would rip their head off if it the pain didn’t stop right now. 

“Well, I guess… being close to each other? I’m feeling a bit better right now. Just by being here, you know”.

“For me it’sz not working yet” They groaned.

“Maybe… Maybe we have to be even closer?”

“Closzer than this? We are in the szame room. It szhould be enough”.

Gabriel gave them a half formed smiled and stepped closer to them.

“Well, I could sit with you”

“I don’t think that’sz a good idea”.

“Why?”

“Becausze when I’m with thisz kind of headache, the only thing that helpsz is laying down”.

“You can still do so”.

Before Beelzebub could ask how, they sat besides them, wiggling a bit to make themselves comfortable.

“Can I?” He asked, landing a hand on their shoulder.

“I guessz szo?” They didn’t want to ask what he wanted to do, because if they did, then they would have to say no, and him touching them had actually relieved the pain a bit.

“Good. Let go” Beelzebub noticed them how low they were talking to each other, almost whispering, but before they could comment on that, Gabriel pushed them down, towards him, until their head was resting in his lap.

It was so hard not to resist his push. But once they were settled, they somehow felt better.

“Now, we wait. I guess that after a while we should be just fine”

“I really hope szo, becausze if you made me do thisz for nothing I will be very, very, pisszed off”.

“Lets hope for the best then”. He said light-heartedly. Beelzebub frowned, not use to their threats not being taken seriously.

He then let his hand fall besides them, not quite touching, but quite close. Beelzebub couldn’t suppress a shiver.

“Hey, are you cold?” He whispered, as if he thought they were asleep.

“Yes” It was partially truth. They were a bit cold. However, they knew that at least part of reason why they were trembling was because the awkwardness and foreignness of being that close to someone else. Not that Gabriel needed that information.

Without saying another word, Gabriel miracled a heavy light blue blanket over them.

“Do you need something else?”

Beelzebub groaned.

“Why are you doing thisz?”

“What?”

“You know… the cuddle, the blanket, why?”

“I’m just taking care of you because you are in pain and is all my fault”

“Szo, it’s guilt”. They couldn’t help the bitterness in their voice.

“I would prefer to say it’s kindness but call it whatever you want” Gabriel’s hand came up to soothe a wrinkle in the blanket. “Do you need anything else?”

Beelzebub thought about it for a second. They could think of some things they needed, things that they had needed for millennia, but this was not the moment and Gabriel was not the person they wanted to confess them too.

“…No, I’m alright”.

“Good. Then rest”

Beelzebub wanted to complain, to say they didn’t want to lay there with their head in his lap and his hand in their shoulder. But truth to be told, they were feeling much better, and Gabriel looked more relaxed. Maybe they didn’t have another choice after all. And if it was something they were _force_ to do, then, well, they didn’t need to feel bad, _wrong_, about it.

Besides, they knew that if whatever protest they could mutter would be met with the same patience in Gabriel’s voice but he wouldn’t listen to them.

So why try, anyways?

******

When Beelzebub opened their eyes, light filled the living room. They rose up slowly, no trace of the headache to be felt, and the blue blanket fell off their shoulders.

Beelzebub couldn’t help blushing as they remembered what happened last night. They cuddled with the archangel fucking Gabriel and then fall asleep on his lap. It was probably the most embarrassing thing they had ever done, and, for someone that had been around more than six millennia, that was quite a record.

On the bright side, Gabriel was nowhere to be found. They didn’t think they could bear waking up with him by their side. They should go to talk to him, let him know that last night was a mistake that wouldn’t happen again.

They stood up, summoning all their strength. Their head was not hurting, so at least they knew Gabriel was still in the house. Knowing him, he probably hadn’t dared to go upstairs in case that distance was too much, so Beelzebub walked towards the kitchen.

Gabriel was sitting in one of the chairs, his head resting on his hand, his jacket discarded over the table and the first button of the shirt was open. He was absently looking through the window.

“Hey” They almost whispered, as to not startle him.

He turned around quickly.

“Beelzebub! Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. I-“

“No more headache?” He cut in.

“No, no. I’m perfectly fine. I… umm... thank you?” The words tasted weird in their mouth, but at the same time they felt like the only right thing to say.

“Don’t. It was my fault to start with”.

“Yeah, um, don’t worry too much about it. I’ve had it worse” By the look in Gabriel’s face, they knew it hadn’t been the right thing to say. “Did I fall asleep in your lap?” They asked, abruptly.

Fuck. Beelzebub kicked themselves mentally. That was the last thing they wanted to say, and much less phrased like that. Gabriel shook the surprise out of his face and smiled.

“No. I stood up to stretch a bit, and when I came back you were already sleeping. Don’t you remember?” His voice sounded soft and confident when he said it.

The thing was, Beelzebub did remember. They remember clearly falling asleep on Gabriel lap, how it had felt when their eyes were closing and how they hadn’t cared enough about anything to even think about the fact they were in the angel’s lap.

Gabriel was lying for them. To preserve their dignity or whatever. The asshole.

“Yeah, now I do remember” This was not the conversation they should be having right now, so yeah, let him think they believed him. Better not to think too much about it anyways-Talking about conversations to be had, there was something they should say and say it now. Beelzebub took a deep breath. “Look I know yesterday was weird and all, and I think we should be clear about this. We both hate this situation and hate each other, so –“

“Beelzebub!” He cut in, _Again_. It was starting to be annoying.

“What?”

“Nothing just… I think it’s better if we don’t go again down that path”.

“I don’t understand what you are talking about”.

“I’m just saying… Look Beelz, how about we make a truce? Constantly fighting and hating each other will only cause us trouble. Let’s just make things easier for ourselves and learn to be around each other”. Something inside Beelzebub stir up when they heard the nickname.

“Don’t ever call me that again, you asshole”. Gabriel just smiled.

“Not the best start. What do you say, Beelzebub?” He put emphasis in their full name. “Truce?” He extended his hand towards him, inviting,

Beelzebub sighed. They supposed Gabriel was right, if they couldn’t leave each other’s side, the least they could do was not make the situation worse right?

“Truce”. They reached out, tentatively brushing his hand before giving him a proper handshake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy!
> 
> So I'm still alive lol. 
> 
> Yeah, I know I said I would do NaNo for this fic and stuff... But then life happened. Sorry dears :(
> 
> But! We are finally getting to the start of intimacy and soft feelings so I hope the wait was somehow worth it??
> 
> I am actually quite surprised by the fact that some of you are still with me lol, thank you so much for your support! It means the world to me <3
> 
> Comments and kudos make me way too happy as always. 
> 
> PS: Wrote this while being super sick (the winter in the Neetherlands is killing me lol I want to go back to the South so badly) so if you see anything too weird, let me know.


	8. Chapter 8

They had “signed” the truce four hours ago and since then, they had already fought six times. It felt like they needed to oppose to whatever the other was saying. They kept remembering each other about the truce but Beelzebub apparently _hated_ being interrupted mid argument, so it wasn’t really useful. 

At the end, Gabriel had decided to go and sit outside while Beelzebub calmed themselves. He had miracled a comfortable chair and had decided that at least he could enjoy the sunlight and the soft breeze, not daring to leaving the small garden the house had.

The garden wasn’t too bad. It was big and sunny and with enough care it could become a work of art.

If he had any plans on staying, he would plant so many flowers there. Whoever used to live there hadn’t really plant anything other than a few green bushes, some sturdy yellow (surprise) flowers and a single apple tree.

It was such a pity, how they hadn’t barely used the potential the garden had.

If he could, he would fill the garden with red roses, his favourites, jasmine and violets in the shadow near the wall and as many plants of birds of paradise he could fit there. Maybe he would add some sunflowers. And an orange tree. He loved orange trees.

The garden in his mind was absolutely dreamlike. It was such a pity that it would never exist.

Because planting even just one flower there, carried some implications Gabriel wasn’t willing to admit. First, it was too human. Angels could admire plants, could _create_ them, but they didn’t garden.

Second, it meant that he was making that house his “home”, as humans put it, and that was not happening. The only home Gabriel had was Heaven, but if he was to build a new one, well, it wouldn’t be a stolen house filled with hate and fights. It wouldn’t be this house.

He sighed.

*****

Gabriel stayed outside, lost in his thoughts, until the sky turned pink and violet with dawn and the breeze got colder.

It was time to get back inside, not that he was looking forward to it.

The first thing he noticed when he opened the door was the music. A soft melody, a sweet voice, singing words he couldn’t quite grasp. Human music, he registered, but not the one that they played in heaven. He doubted it was the kind of music they played in Hell, either, but he couldn’t know.

The second thing he noticed (although it would be more accurate to say that the realization hit him like a truck) was that love was all around the house. Warm and easy, but with a desperate edge to it.

It flooded his senses.

It wasn’t just residual love from the old habitants of the house. It was Beelzebub’s.

Surprisingly enough, it was the most Beelzebub thing he had ever felt, in a way he wasn’t sure how to express. Yes, he could identify other angels by their love, but angelic love was always so similar to each other that it never felt truly “theirs”. However, this was totally different to any love he had sensed before. In fact, he couldn’t think of a single thing that reminded him more of them right now.

He closed his eyes and let his angelic senses read the love as if it was the most precious poem.

It was the love for fresh breeze, for sunlight. The love for all the soft things in the house: the blanket (his blanket), the cushions, the bed. It was a newly discovered love for yellow, yellow cups, yellow embroidery. A love for the smell of coffee, the taste of cookies.

It was Beelzebub’s love for all the small things that someone before them had loved. Small things Gabriel hadn’t even noticed at all.

It was a love with a sharp edge to it. Fear, Gabriel realized. Fear of loosing all those things. Fear of being discovered.

Probably he shouldn’t be exploring a feeling that wasn’t his. It was like spying, only that worse. It was like breaking in the most private corners of another being. It was wrong.

But the thing was that, for an angel, love was intoxicating per se. However, a love so new, so raw, coming from someone that wasn’t even used to experience it? That was divine in the most literal way possible.

The worst part, Gabriel realised, was that he had been so wound up earlier that he hadn’t even noticed it. It probably had been there for a while, and he had being so busy building up walls to defend himself that he had ignored everything around him, not only Beelzebub’s love, but everything that was to love in the house.

He followed the music to the bedroom. Beelzebub was in the balcony, watching the sunset, a yellow mug in their hands. He glanced at the CD playing. A blonde woman, a corny title, thirteen love songs.

He sat in the bed, right behind them. He let the last ray of sun disappear before speaking.

“Hey”. He said, as soft as he could. It still startled Beelzebub, who dropped the mug.

It stopped mid-air, just before touching the floor. Had it been his miracle or theirs?

He couldn’t tell.

Beelzebub picked it up.

“Good thing it was empty”

“Hmm hm” They answered, noncommittally.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Define better”.

“You don’t want to slit my throat open anymore?”

Beelzebub smiled, their fangs showing.

“Darling, I alwaysz want to szlit your throat open. However, right now I don’t want to make it asz painful as this morning, if it helpsz”.

Against all odds, Gabriel laughed.

“We’ll work with that”.

“You should take me szeriously”. They muttered.

Gabriel slowly reached for their hand, brushing it. For a moment they both thought he would hold it, but he refrained from it, recoiling in the last moment, as if he had been shocked. Which, to be fair, was more or less what happened. A soft electric shock as his skin touched theirs.

Probably it was his angelic senses or something like that. However, he searched in Beelzebub eyes a sign that meant they had it feel it too. Nothing.

“I do take you seriously”. He finally answered and smile.

“What?” Beelzebub asked abruptly. They took a step backwards, putting some distance between them.

“What what?”

“What’sz wrong with you now?”

“Nothing. I’m just happy”. Beelzebub raised an eyebrow and Gabriel forced himself to shrug. The correct answer to Beelzebub’s question would have been something like, _nothing, Beelzebub, I just happen to be like super high on you love for yellow mugs and cookies_ _so I’m acting weird and can’t control myself._ But he felt like it was the kind of answer that would make Beelzebub extremely angry.

He decided to deviate the attention from him then, as he tried to “sober up” from everything he was feeling.

“You looked happy too, earlier”. He knew it had been the wrong thing to say as soon as he saw Beelzebub’s face.

“I waszn’t-“

“You can relax, Beelzebub. I’m not judging. This place has a weird peace to it”. Again wrong, probably. Nevertheless, he kept talking. “In a few days I’ll be back in Heaven, but I can enjoy some calm right now. And you can, as well”.

“You will go upstairsz again?”

“Of course! But not until we fix the whole thing of feeling like shit when separated, so you don’t need to worry about that”. Beelzebub gave them an indecipherable look and then nodded.

It would be such a blessing to know what they were thinking in moments like that.

“Anyways, I was thinking we should go for a walk tomorrow. The village looks so… lovely”. Gabriel tried to read Beelzebub’s reaction to that word, something that let him know that they were conscious of their feelings and not just sweeping them under the rug as fast as they could, but his efforts were met again by the most perfect poker face of the whole creation.

“Okay, we’ll go. I don’t want to stand you whining about wanting to do touriszm or szomething sztupid like that”.

Gabriel grinned, victorious.

“However, I will be the one whining and complaining the whole time, juszt so you know. I don’t want to go and do sztupid human thingsz with you”. Gabriel smiled to himself, because sure Beelzebub will complain the whole day, but they had say yes immediately to the suggestion and that was enough.

“Great, thank you”. He stood up. “I’ll be downstairs doing…. Something”.

Beelzebub looked at him unimpressed and waved their hand in dismissal.

Gabriel stopped himself just before exiting the room and turned in his heels to look at the demon.

“Hey Beelz, quick question. What’s your favourite flower?”

“Why do you-“

“Just curiosity. Answer me, please”.

“Daisziesz. And don’t call me Beelz again, you asszhole”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter <3 Just for your information it was written with the same sappy songs on repeat lol  
Comment and leave kudos to keep me going, life is exhausting right now  
Love y'all <3


	9. Chapter 9

Beelzebub was wearing one of their favourite black suits, without the jacket and the ensigns, just the loose trousers and the white shirt, adorned with black ribbons. They looked in the mirror, adjusting the sleeves.

Gabriel crept behind them.

“You look nice. I mean, it’s a good suit”. Beelzebub rolled their eyes. Of course Gabriel had to comment on the clothes. 

“Demonsz don’t look nice. We are szcary and diszgusting”.

“You are still scary”. He offered.

Beelzebub met his eyes in the mirror and smiled, fangs showing.

“I know”.

The angel ignored the slight threat they tried to pose.

“Ready to go out?”

“Szzure”. The sooner they did it, the sooner it ended, right?

Gabriel offered them his arm in a reflex gesture.

“I’m not doing that” Beelzebub warned. Only then Gabriel was truly conscious of what happened. He lowered his hand as fast as he could .

“Oh, yeah. Sure. Of course”.

Beelzebub raised an eyebrow and headed towards the door. Gabriel hurried after them.

Outside, the sun was warm with the golden light of the firsts days of autumn and the road to the village was paved with thousands of wild flowers. There was no cloud to be seen and Beelzebub could swear they could almost feel the sea salt in the breeze. Were they even close to the sea? They couldn't tell for sure, but it felt like it

In the distance they could see the charming small houses that made up the village, with balconies decorated with roses and other flowers.

It felt divine. It was the closest thing to paradise Beelzebub had experience since the fall. 

They were loving it.

And they were hating that they were loving it, because it meant Gabriel was right. And it meant they couldn’t complaint half as they swore they would. At least not without awe dripping in their voice.

Fortunately, Gabriel didn’t say much until they actually reached the village, where he dared to talk again, allowing them to just be and enjoy.

“It looks lovely, doesn’t it?”

Beelzebub just nodded.

“Is there something in particular you want to see?”

“How am I szupposzed to know what I want to szee if I don’t know what this village has, you idiot?”

“It was courtesy”. He whined. Beelzebub ignored him.

“Besidesz, I told you I didn’t want to do touriszm like a dumb human”.

“So, shall we just walk and see what we find?”

“Fine” They huffed.

In the top ten things they hated about Gabriel, one was for sure how patient they could be. Like yeah, sure, Gabriel was a well-known asshole and someone who backlashed against his employees when they didn’t work fast enough (which Beelzebub did too, they were not hiding. They always thought it wasn't no the same thing when Hell did it though), but at the same time, whenever a negotiation between Heaven and Hell was needed, he was always the more persistent and calmer of them all.

Fuck him.

Fuck him and his heavenly virtues. Besides, it wasn't as if he was perfect. He was an angel of many vices.

Just as Gabriel said, the village was lovely. With old houses, dark stone path and the kind of well-fed stray cats that didn’t fear people anymore and made sure to come and rub against whoever was closer in hopes of getting more food.

Even if that someone was a Lord of Hell.

Beelzebub had never petted a cat before and was _very_ surprised when that cat allowed them to touch him. However, what surprised them the most was when the cat started vibrating.

They raised their eyes towards Gabriel, questioning.

“I think he likes you” Was all the angel offered as an answer.

Beelzebub huffed.

“I’m a demon. I’m not likeable”. And with that they scratched the cat behind the ears once more, bopped his little nose, and stood up. “Let’sz go. That cat szurvival instinct is broken”.

Gabriel just smiled and shook his head, wordlessly.

***

It appeared that the village was even more beautiful than expected, with a few well-hidden statues, diminutive squares with marble fountains and a church in the middle of the main square.

Gabriel hesitated when they both saw it.

“You can go inszide, if you want”. Beelzebub said, casually.

“I don’t think is a good idea, after all, I brought you here and-“

“Gabriel, I can be left alone for a while. I promisze not to eat any human”.

“That’s not what I…. And the ring?”

“I will stay around at a reasonable distance. And if it hurts, you can just take your ass out of the church and meet me outside. Now, go.”

Gabriel didn’t need to be told twice and disappeared into the church soon enough. It was just a tad bit dissapointing that he didn't insist once more, but the demon was not going to admit that to themselves

Beelzebub, now alone for the first time in the last two days, turned in their heels slowly, looking at the square around them.

Eventually a small patisserie caught their eye.

Just like flies were attracted to honey, Beelzebub really enjoyed eating all kinds of human candy and sweets. They just didn’t do it often. First because they rarely came to Earth, but most importantly because they didn’t like other demons knowing what they enjoyed or not. They just never trusted them enough.

And the worst part was that, there had been a very reduced number of demons who actually had known that little weakness of them, demons they had thought could trust to know just the tiniest thing of their personality, and they had still betrayed them.

Probably they had it coming. Who trusts a demon?

It was just too hard to spend millennia without having even just one friend. That’s why they had let their guard down.

They pushed those thoughts out of their mind. Being forced to remind everything that had led them here was too much to bear.

It was easier to just enjoy the situation as it came and try to forget what happened until they had a chance to take their revenge.

Not that they were ever admitting they enjoyed the situation.

When they opened the patisserie door, the soft sound of some bells hanging in front of it alerted the owner of their presence.

“Hello” Came the deep voice of the man behind the counter. He had round factions and a nice and well-kept moustache. His cheeks were bright red from the heat of the oven. 

“Hello” They answered, distractedly, looking at the different sweets in front of them.

“How can I help you?” He smiled at them.

Beelzebub met his eyes, provoking a shiver to run down his spine, and then look at the sweets again.

“I’m not szure what to order… What do you recommend?” Beelzebub knew exactly what they would like to try, namely everything, but they felt a rush of something when those too human words left their mouth. Allowing someone else to choose for them was something Beelzebub had never done before. 

The man coughed a few times before being able to formulate an answer, still a bit intimidated by their presence.

“This almond cake served with macarons is my wife favourite. She rarely likes sweet things, so when she do, you can bet it’s delicious” He laughed, uncomfortably.

“Then I’ll take your wife’sz szuggestion, then”

“Takeaway or do you want to take a sit?”.

“Takeaway, pleasze”.

The man proceeded to put the piece of cake in a cardboard box, whistling softly. Whistling was one of those human defense mechanism the demon never truly understood, but apparently there was something about letting air produce sounds that usually made them feel they were safer. Humans could be so weird sometimes.

Beelzebub could feel the curiosity emanating from him. Who were they? Where did they come from? All the questions humans always posed when they met someone new.

They found it quite pleasant. Although demons always enjoyed feeling Sin coming out humans, in reality, what they enjoyed the most was curiosity.

Curisiosity had been the reason most of them fell, after all. Angels rarely felt it, questioning things was somehow against their nature. Demons used to feel it all the time, but not anymore. Hell alienated them. It killed, little by little, their ability to question the rules, the established order… It killed what once had been the reason of their fall, or as Satan used to put it, their freedom.

It made Hell one of the dullest places for a demon to be, and ironically, they were all trapped there.

They had always thought it was part of their punishment for falling. Taking the joy out of everything, even that.

The only demon they remembered being curious at all had been Crowley, and at the end he had chosen humans over Hell. Beelzebub would be lying if they said they didn't understand him better now, but fortunately, being a good liar was part of their job descriptio

They could see why.

Since they had stepped in that village, they had felt much more alive. Obviously, not all curiosity had the same weight, the same feel to it. It was not the same thing wondering what a certain ice cream flavour tasted like than to wonder what hid in the outer space. But still, just the mere existence of that curiosity was more than enough to make them feel refreshed.

“There you go” The man offered them a cardboard bag with the logo of the shop.

“Thank you” They miracle a wallet with some money and dutifully payed. Not their most demonic behaviour, but fuck it. 

“See you soon!”

“Goodbye” They opened the door again, and let it close after them, the bells ringing once again.

In the distance, they could see Gabriel looking around for them.

“How was the church?” They asked when they were at hearing distance.

They felt a pang of something in their chest. Since when they cared about an ugly church?

The reality was, they realised shortly after, that they didn’t care about the church.

And Beelzebub was unsure if it was a good thing or a very, very bad thing.

“Awesome! It’s been a while since I step on a church, if I am honest and God how much I missed it. You can feel the blessings so strongly. And it’s so, so beautiful! I will never stop appreciating the ability of humans to show how much they appreciate God through architecture. I think we are on Italy, by the way, the style is quite recognisable…. I don’t think you would have liked it anyways” He forced the excitement in his voice to disappear. “Not your style. Anyways, what’s in the bag”. 

“You know I don’t care not being able to szee the church, right? You don’t have to feel pity of me”

“Of course, Beelz. I would never pity you. Besides, outdoors is much nicer, if I’m honest”.

Before Beelzebub could answer, a woman behind them coughed loudly, trying to gain their attention. They turned to her.

“Hello” She said, a bright smile in her face.

“Hello?” Beelzebub couldn’t stop themselves of sounding unsure. Gabriel took a step ahead, so he was standing right besides him and forced a smile as well.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Anna, the mayor of the village. I was in my lunch break and couldn’t help to notice you looked a bit lost. Just let me know if you need help finding the city you want to go to, I can give you a map of the country”.

“We are not going to another city”.

“No?” She looked surprised. Beelzebub guessed that they didn't recieve many visitors “Are you visiting the village then?”It was almost endearing how happy she looked about that possibility

“We are not touriszt” Said Beelzebub. “We moved in here a few daysz ago”.

The mayor’s mouth hung open.

“We are living in the cottage in the hill”. Gabriel offered.

“Oh. Oh. I… I didn’t know Alda had moved out. She didn’t say a thing”. She shook her head as if by doing that the could shake her sadness “So you are our new neighbours!” She forced a smile.

Beelzebub looked down uncomfortably. They would have rather not known anything about Alda. Not even her name.

“It appears so!” Gabriel laughed awkwardly. “I am Gabriel and this is my spouse, Beelz. We recently got married and were _strongly_ suggested to move here to enjoy some... retirement time”.

“Oh, a recently married couple. How adorable”. If Beelzebub could punch her without drawing everyone’s attention, they would have. As if feeling their frustration, Gabriel landed a hand in their shoulder, softly. They first tensed at the unexpected contact and then allowed themselves to relax, a heavy weight growing in their chest, without explanation. “I guess you don’t know many people yet” Anna continued rambling, although Beelzebub had trouble listening to her. “I just want you to know that you are invited to have dinner with me and my husband, who I see you already know, what a lovely coincidence, anytime you want”. Beelzebub forced themselves to smile and look grateful doing so.

“That would be nice”. They said.

“A typical meal with friends. Is there something more human than that?! I don’t think so. We do it all the time”. Gabriel exclaimed.

Beelzebub stomped on his foot as slyly as they could manage. _Shut up_.

Anna laughed uncomfortably.

“Well, I need to get back to work. Just give me your phone numbers so we can keep in touch”

With a snap a mobile phone appeared in Beelzebub’s pocket. They allowed her to copy the number, sure as Hell that after Gabriel’s performance they were not getting any calls.

Fortunately.

“Well, enjoy your time here together. And if you need anything let me or my husband know. We are here if you need us”.

“You can count with us as well” Said Gabriel in the weird tone he often used when talking to humans. “Goodbye”.

Once the mayor was far enough to not hear them, Gabriel sighed contently.

“Humans never suspect anything”. He said.

Beelzebub had to physically refrain themselves from crashing his face against the floor. They had so many things they wanted to criticise from the conversation with Anna that it would take them at least a century. But there was one that had a special gravity to it.

“I can’t believe you told her my name wasz Beelz”.

“I knew you wouldn’t like it, but I couldn’t say Beelzebub! It just has too many negative connotations to humans!”

“I _like_ thosze negative connotationsz”.

“It would have been too weird, we don’t want humans discovering what we are!”

Beelzebub closed their eyes.

“Gabriel, I szwear to Szatan I’m killing you”.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next few weeks went by without any major shift in their situation regarding Heaven and Hell. They didn’t even get a single note asking how things were going. The days passed, sun rising and setting, without ever stopping, creating a routine neither Beelzebub nor Gabriel were used to.

Days just blurred with each other in such a way that they didn’t notice everything that was changing around them.

It started with the sun. Each day was a few seconds shorter than yesterday. Then it was the wind, a bit colder than before. A bit wilder. Lastly, the leaves in the trees begun to change, from vibrant greens to a beautiful scale of browns and oranges.

Autumn came, surprising two creatures that had never experienced seasons before. But that was just the most superficial of changes

The real change between them happened in the same manner than the change in season: slowly first and then, all at once.

And that’s how a walk in the village slowly became a usual thing. Beelzebub started feeding the cat (someone had to do it, otherwise a cat so stupid to play with the Lord of Hell would surely die). Gabriel learnt to make coffee. He still didn’t drink it but had learn that Beelzebub was less irritable when they had a cup in the morning.

They started spending the nights together, sitting in the living room, rather than awkwardly avoiding each other. They found a trunk full of board games and worked their way through it. It involved a fair amount of screaming to each other, but surprisingly enough, that was all they did.

Some nights, Beelzebub would fall asleep when the game ended. They did it once in the sofa and woke up with their whole body hurting. Since then, Gabriel would wake them up so they could go upstairs and curl in the bed. After all, he knew how uncomfortable it was.

And in the middle of that routine they lost themselves.

***

Beelzebub and Gabriel returned home that day shortly before lunch, soaked wet and with the angel pretty oblivious to how pissed off the other was.

They miracled themselves dry before stepping in.

“It wasn’t that bad after all” Gabriel commented.

“Excusze you? Did you listen to juszt one thing of what came out of your mouth?”

Anna and her husband, Mario, had surprisingly followed up with an invitation for lunch. They had tried to avoid meeting them as long as possible, but eventually had to give in. At least they managed to transform lunch in just a coffee for Gabriel’s sake.

It went as bad as one would imagine with Gabriel trying to pose as a human.

“I don’t think I said anything unappropriated!”

“You called coffee “caffeine szubsztance” the whole time”.

“It is a caffeine substance”.

“Gabriel. You literally szaid that you enjoyed traveling to presztigiousz human countriesz and reading paper with wordsz when they aszked you what your hobbies were”.

“I did research! Those are acceptable human responses!”

“Yezzs! But humans normally juszt szay they like to travel and TO FUCKING READ”.

“I-“

“And when aszked about their favourite book, I bet not even the Pope szays The Holy Bible”.

“Okay it was a see-through lie, but I honestly don’t know any other book”

“Are you telling me you don’t know a szingle book in the whole human hizstory except for the one you make a cameo in?”

“If you put it like that, I sound self-centred”.

“Yeah, asszhole, I have szome breaking newsz for you”.

The bickering would have probably continued for a bit longer, until one of them had grown tired of it and decided to do something else, but this time Gabriel ended it prematurely.

He stepped away from Beelzebub, making the demon suddenly aware of how close he had been.

Before they could ask where he was going (and thank Satan they didn’t, it would have been embarrassingly needy) he disappeared into the living room.

“What in Heaven is that?” He exclaimed. Beelzebub ran after him.

“What are you talking about?” Gabriel didn’t answer. It wasn’t necessary. He was holding a letter in his hands, the envelope forgotten on the table. Beelzebub remained quiet, waiting for him to finish reading it.

“I felt some angelic presence in the house” Gabriel explained, crumpling the paper in his hands. “Someone had been here, left a letter and leave. The coward didn’t even hand it to me personally”. His voice was trembling.

“Bad newsz?”

“Yes”.

“Then that’sz why they didn’t dare to give them to you”

“I’m not you, Beelz. I don’t kill the messenger. Mainly because most of the time I am the messenger”.

The demon shrugged.

“I wouldn’t have killed them either for giving you some bad newsz”. They would be dead way before it, they didn’t add.

If Heaven thought that after being humiliated by them they would happily allow an angel in their house, they were delusional. Good thing they left so soon.

“Anywaysz, what does the letter szay?”

“They want me to go back to Heaven”

Something sunk deep in Beelzebub stomach. Those were indeed bad news.

“For how long?” They dared to ask. Forever? Was the treaty already over? Did they had enough getting along?

“Just a meeting” They felt their shoulders relax. They tried not to question it.

“It’zs not that bad then”.

“It is. I will not go back to Heaven for God knows how long and leave you here on Earth to suffer a headache or whatever the ring throws at you this time. Besides, I won’t be able to work properly if I have to deal with ring induced anxiety”.

Shit, the ring. Beelzebub had almost forgotten it.

“We will figure szomething out. How much time do we have until the meeting? A week?”

Gabriel smiled, condescend.

“It’s Heaven, my dear. We always have absolute availability. The meeting is now”.

Beelzebub huffed. In Hell, they needed at least a week to schedule something resembling a meeting, and still someone could never make it. In all honestly, they weren’t sure which option was worse.

“Then go and just try to make it quick. I’m sure we will szurvive, we’ve had it worsze”.

Gabriel drop himself in one of the chairs, moving his feet uncontrollably. Beelzebub swallowed the urge to interrupt his train of thought, taking the letter from his hands and reading it instead. Surprisingly, the angel allowed them.

Before they reached the end of the letter, Gabriel jerked up, a somewhat eerie shine in his eyes.

A shine Beelzebub had seen before, way too long ago.

“You know what, Beelz? We are going”.

“We?” The demon asked. Because surely Gabriel couldn’t be talking about taking them to Heaven, right?

“Yes. We. The two of us. We can’t part from each other without being in pain, and they know it, but they have decided to ignore it. I’m not putting myself, and much less you, into such situation just because they asked me to”.

Warmth spread over Beelzebub’s chest at Gabriel’s words. “And much less you”, those four words made them feel cared for in a way they didn’t think anyone ever had.

“I don’t think I’m welcome upstairsz”

“You are not. But they should have thought that before signing the alliance”.

Beelzebub smiled, fangs showing. With a snap of their fingers they changed clothing into a more formal, more threatening suit. Gabriel suited up as well, making sure to look as sharp as he could. He also made their fly hat appear on their head.

“I just think it suits you well” He offered. Beelzebub just shrugged, ignoring (or trying to) the fact that Gabriel had just offered the closest thing to a compliment he could, and offered their arm to Gabriel.

If they were doing this, they will show they were together.

Heaven and Hell had formed an alliance at their cost. But what they weren’t expecting was for them to form their own alliance too.

***

“It was time you made an appearance, Gabriel!” Uriel practically screamed when they materialised in Heaven. It took all Beelzebub had not to look around curiously. “You better than anyone should know we don’t have all da-“

She never finished the sentence. Gabriel smiled softly and straightened himself up, resting his free hand on the one Beelzebub had interlocked over his arm.

“What are _they_ doing here”

Gabriel feigned innocence.

“Spousal duties, why?”

“This is not only unnecessarily provocative and unheard of but –“ Again, Gabriel didn’t let her finish.

“This is what a political alliance means, Uriel. If it makes you uncomfortable, you should have thought about it earlier. And I believe we should start going? It would awful to delay the meeting even further because of you”. Although Gabriel made sure his words were measured, there was something in his tone that was obviously mean and designed to hurt. It was brilliant.

Uriel tried to regain her composure. 

“Okay. Let’s go” She barely muttered.

Beelzebub just gave her their nastiest smile, making sure to show their fangs threateningly.

With a snap of Gabriel’s fingers, a second chair appeared in the meeting room as they opened the door.

“Good morning” Beelzebub said, smiling dangerously.

Gabriel on the other hand said nothing, just sat down an signalled the meeting to start. The demon couldn’t help but grin like a child at how difficult Gabriel was going to make this for the rest of angels.

After all, even if they sometimes forget it with how irritatingly respectful and dumb he could be, Gabriel had always been a renowned bastard.

They would never admit it out loud, but seeing him act like that, made them feel pride and a fondness they never knew they could feel for the angel.

The meeting took longer than expected, especially given that it wasn’t even that important, in Beelzebub’s opinion. Something about technologically improving communication with the new angels they were going to send to earth. To avoid them going full Aziraphale route by keeping then in a shorter leash or something like that.

The angels had some interesting ideas, though. And Beelzebub had noted them now.

But still, they were just as dense as the demons, with the meeting taking human hours. So many that, in fact, when they materialised back in their living room, the clock was reading two in the morning and everything was pitch black.

Gabriel let his shoulder drop, relaxing his posture and groaned.

“That was long. I’m getting way too used to human times”

“It wasz exhausting” The demon agreed “I had almost forgotten how bad executive meetingsz could be”

Gabriel hummed in agreement.

“Very different from Hell?” He asked.

“The meetingsz? Nah, they are the same kind of idiotsz”.

“I meant Heaven”.

Beelzebub turned to look at him, they were standing so close that they needed to move their whole head up to look him in the eye.

“Yeah. But way more different than how I remembered”.

“It has changed quite a bit” And then “I used to like it better before”

Beelzebub lied a hand in his arm, the touch warmer than expected.

“I can szee why”.

“Do you… Think about it often”.

Beelzebub sucked in a breath.

“Think about it no, remember it yesz”.

Gabriel just nodded, unsure how to answer now. The strain was obvious in his face. He wanted to know, but he didn’t want to ask. To hurt them.

“I think we are both very tired after thisz” Gabriel opened his mouth to protest but Beelzebub was quicker. “Do not try to deny it, I can szee it in your face” And in how you are hunched, and in your eyes. “Maybe we szhould get szome szleep” They let their hand run over Gabriel’s arm “You putted a hell of a show upstairzs, but I know first-hand how hard doing that can be”.

Gabriel shivered and nodded.

“Yeah, you are right, I guess. I should sleep” He sighed contently and let his hand rest over Beelzebub’s one in his arm, before moving it away, softly “You can keep the bed, I’m fine with the sofa”.

Beelzebub glanced over their shoulders to the old sofa that presided the living room, dutifully ignoring the fact that neither them or Gabriel had moved their hands away, so they were still touching.

Mostly because if any of them pointed that fact out, they would need to move them apart.

“You know, the bed is big enough for two humansz. And right now, we have average human szizes…”

“Well, you are a bit on the shorter side…” Beelzebub slapped his hand in what was probably meant to be annoyance but came up quite playfully.

“What I meant is that I think we could just szhare the bed” They manage to keep the words even and didn’t let their tone betrayed them, but a violent blush spread over their cheeks. They hoped Gabriel couldn’t distinguish it in the dark.

The angel just kept silent.

“You don’t want to?”

That seemed to wake him up.

“Oh no, I would love to. I mean…the sofa is quite uncomfortable, and I need to rest well” Beelzebub nodded solemnly “I was just surprised you asked”.

“Well, we need to be well reszted. Maybe Hell will call tomorrow, who knowsz. It’s the only professzional thing to do”.

Gabriel smiled.

“I agree. After you”.

Beelzebub needed a few seconds to understand what the angel meant with this, but then, they actually started walking towards the stairs. For some reason, now that they knew that sleep was so close, they felt even more tired.

They stopped after climbing the fist two steps, now at eye level with Gabriel and turned to face him.

“If you try to cuddle I szzwear to Szatan I will totally kill you”

Gabriel smile.

“We don’t want that, do we? I’ll keep a decent distance, your prince, there is no need to worry” In the dark Beelzebub could see Gabriel’s eyes gleaming. He was having fun at their cost, teasing them like that.

Beelzebub wondered for a second if they knew what it was doing to them.

Probably not.

The demon just huffed, mostly because they didn’t know how to answer and kept climbing the stairs.

Once in the bedroom, they kicked off their shoes and took off their jacket, fast as a lightning, and jumped into the bed, claiming the side near the window. Gabriel just snapped his fingers changing his suit into something more comfortable and walked towards the bed.

True to his word, he lied in the other side of the bed, as far as he could from the demon.

“Good night, Beelz”

“Good night, asszhole”

They heard Gabriel smile in the dark and then he turned around, back facing the demon.

They just sighed once more and close their eyes.

Sleep had never claimed them faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did promise bed sharing, after all. 
> 
> Could they literally just miracle another bed? Of course. But they are THAT dumb.
> 
> I hope you like it! I have a big final on Friday so updates may take longer this week, but don't worry, chapter 11 will be up soon! It has to, after all, because I want to upload the Christmas Especial on Christmas for, you know, reasons. 
> 
> Kudos and comments make me the happiest girl on this side of the galaxy, so you know, make my day!
> 
> Have a nice day <3


	11. Chapter 11

Sunlight woke up Gabriel after the single best night of sleep of his whole life. He didn’t open his eyes nor move, too caught up in the bliss of being relaxed and well rested to be willing to end it so soon. He just allowed himself to just feel and discover his surroundings without fully waking up.

The first thing he notice was the warmth and softness of the bed. It made him wish he could stay forever underneath that duvet.

The second thing he realised, almost made him choke with a breath he didn’t need. He was being embraced by Beelzebub. And it wasn’t the kind of unconscious embrace that came with sleep. His head was resting on their chest, the rest of his body just pressing lightly against theirs, a position he had probably put himself in last night when neither of them was awake to stop it. That itself wasn’t truly surprising. The marvellous (but still weird) thing was that Beelzebub was awake.

Their fingers were slowly tracing patterns over his forehead and hair, with a softness that almost didn’t seem characteristic of the prince of Hell, the fierce demon that just a few hours earlier had terrorized half Heaven with a smile.

Almost, because after this few months, Gabriel knew how soft Beelzebub could really be. Really was.

They had revealed their claws and was using their sharp ends to caress him. It felt heavenly, but what make him shiver were the implications of that gesture. They were using a weapon, something they would normally use for torture, to bring him pleasure. And he trusted them with that.

Beelzebub could do whatever they wanted with him and Gabriel wouldn’t be scared at all. He didn’t think he couldn’t be scared of them anymore.

Not with their love surrounding him, so intoxicatingly that he had to make an effort to not pry. To give them intimacy in enjoying this house and newfound peace, yes. But mostly for his own sake.

He didn’t think he could stand reading all things Beelzebub loved without him being one of them.

At least in his ignorance, he could pretend.

“Are you awake?” Beelzebub asked, softly, their hand halting its ministrations for a second although it wasn’t long until they kept going.

Gabriel didn’t answer, too afraid to lose their touch if he did.

“I know you are”. They sighed.

The angel gave in and opened his eyes, the soft violet meeting icy blue.

“Good morning” He said, a lazy smile that only grew when he noticed that the demon hand was still on his hair.

“I told you not to cuddle” They stated, although didn’t look annoyed at all.

“You don’t seem to mind” He regretted his words immediately and tried to brace himself for the soon to be lack of contact, but Beelzebub didn’t move. Not an inch.

They didn’t answer, either.

But that much, Gabriel understood. Beelzebub was a demon, and not just a demon but the Prince of Hell, and there were certain things they couldn’t admit out loud. Or at least he hoped it was that they couldn’t admit it and not that they just didn’t care enough.

But Gabriel knew how good it felt to get to touch, to embrace, after being deprived for so long. Touch in Hell wasn’t as frowned upon as in Heaven, but he did know that it wasn’t a soft, selfless touch, but the one that came with fighting or fucking.

Neither of them was used to just feel a friendly hand and they both craved it.

“You know” He said distractingly “This is the first time I had actually slept with someone else. It’s much better than sleeping alone”.

“Uh. Szo, angelsz don’t sleep cuddling with each other? Szztriking.” There was sarcasm in their voice, probably to dodge giving a more complex answer. 

“Of course, we don’t. But even if someone up there was willing to, you are the first being I trust enough to be like this”. That was Beelzebub’s limit apparently. They suddenly moved away from him, letting his head fall on the pillow, and got out of bed.

They shivered once at the sudden lost of warmth, but didn’t make a gesture to get back in. 

“You szhouldn’t trust me, Gabriel. I’m a demon. Truszting me could be the last thing you did”.

“You trust me too” The angel pointed out. Because he knew it was true. Because it had been Beelzebub who had invited him to sleep with them. Who had held his hand while he teleported them into Heaven, behind the enemy’s line, and had been perfectly calm the whole time they were there. 

“It’s normal, Beelz. We have been here together such a long time that hate is not an option anymore. We had formed our own alliance, and neither of us will break it. I know”.

“It’s not the szame thing, Gabriel”.

“Why not?”

“Becausze I. Am. A. Demon”. They punctuated every word, as if it was enough to explain everything.

“I’ve noticed, Beelz. You know I’m not afraid of you”.

“You szhould”.

“Why?”

“Becausze I could tempt you!” _You already have_ “I could make you szin!” _No, you couldn’t_.

“Tempt me to what exactly, Beelz?”

“Szztop calling me that”.

“Tempt me to what?” He ignored their previous comment. He didn’t ignore that it had been the first time in weeks they had asked him to stop using the nickname. They were trying to distance themselves, not from Gabriel, but from who they were around him. “I don’t think I will fall for sleeping one night. What else is in the table? Wrath? You irritate me but, believe me, other angels had made me way angrier before. Gluttony? I think we both know that’s not even an option. Not even if I actually tried some human food. If the traitor didn’t fall because of Gluttony, no angel will. I have enough Pride in me already, and I most definitely don’t Envy you, I would call it admiration –“ Beelzebub cut in sharply.

“There are other szzins, Gabriel, some of them you could probably commit. You are not as made of light azzs you think you are”.

“Lust?” Gabriel decided to keep going. He knew that the only reason Beelzebub was interrupting him was because they didn’t want to hear about his admiration for them. “I’m a being of love. One wouldn’t show up without the other. And love, in all it’s forms, is quite holy”.

“It’sz enough!” Only when he heard the demon’s sharp voice Gabriel was truly conscious of what he just said. _Lust_. There were so many different sins and he had to choose that one in particular. “Even if I didn’t make you szin, I could dizscorporate you. A knife in your back. Or I could conjure up Hellfire and juszzt destroy you. Forever. You szhouldn’t truszt me”.

Gabriel shook his head.

“If you were going to do that, you would have already done it. Now it’s way too late for us to try to kill each other”.

“Why?” They cocked an eyebrow, looking at the angel defiantly, ready to jump and debunk any possible argument he wanted to throw at them. Gabriel simply smiled.

“Because now you like me. You see me as your equal”.

Beelzebub opened their mouth to protest, but he didn’t allow it, instead just grabbing their hand and pulling them so they were sitting right beside them.

“It’s okay, Beelz. We signed a truce. That’s what it means. You won’t tempt me, you won’t kill me and I won’t bless you and won’t hurt you. We can relax near each other. We had been letting our guards now for months. For heaven’s sake, Beelz. Now it’s not the time to fear each other anymore”.

The demon just let their shoulders drop.

“I can’t help being afraid of you, Gabriel”. Those words felt like a slap. He wanted to ask why, what they were afraid of, if they were probably more powerful than him. Better trained. More resourceful.

What could they fear if they had his heart in their hands and could break it at any given moment?

What could they fear if they were holding a power not even God had over him?

Before he could question them, the sound of TV switching on and voices Gabriel recognised as demons coming from it, shatter the relative calm of the house.

“Work is calling”- They exclaimed and jumped downstairs. Gabriel could see the relief in their eyes and didn’t stop them.

He buried his head in his arms. Fuck.

At least now he knew that talking about their fraternizing with Beelzebub was out of the table but he… He needed to know where they were standing. He didn’t have any hope of being reciprocated at any given point, Beelzebub was just too out of his league. Mostly because they were a prince of fucking Hell and he was an archangel, and there just wasn’t a better example of two different leagues. But he would like them to admit at least that they saw him as more than another political adversary, even if it was one they were married to.

He sighed. He needed some fresh air.

It was sunny and not too cold outside, so he decided to put their garden to use.

He walked down the stairs just to find Beelzebub sitting in one sofa, a notebook in hand and discussing with three Dukes of Hell God know what. Even in such a mundane situation, they looked regal. Powerful.

Gabriel felt a pang of something in his chest.

“I will be outside” He informed Beelzebub from outside the TV range.

“ You can join usz if you want. After all Hell is _our _responsibility now”. The demons in the TV tried to protest, but Beelzebub made them quiet with a glare.

Gabriel forced himself to smile.

“Maybe I will, in a while. Right now, I still need to process Heaven’s last meeting. Revise my notes, you know, paperwork”.

Beelzebub nodded absently and turned back to the TV, picking up their notebook again.

“Where were we?” They began to say, and Gabriel left before getting drawn into the conversation.

Once in the garden, the angel took a deep breath of air.

It was time to start working.

He conjured all the seeds he thought he was going to need. Every seed planted by an archangel flourishes immediately, so he decided to plant them himself instead of just miracling the garden full of flowers.

For once, he wanted to get his hands dirty.

Two hours after he came back into the house, his suit ruined by the dirt, his hand dirty and sored but with the exhilarating feeling that came after creating something beautiful.

Beelzebub was still in the living room, talking to the demons and eyed him curiously as he passed her by, but didn’t ask any questions.

He went straight to the bathroom, to take a bath instead of miracling himself clear.

He came back to the living room shortly after, dressed in grey dressing trousers and a soft lilac cashmere jumper with a white shirt underneath, much more relaxed than his usual full suit looks, but still well dressed.

Beelzebub’s eyes travelled over him, unreadable.

He sat down near them and eyed their notebook.

“What are we discussing right now?”

Beelzebub smiled mischievously.

“Oh, you wouldn’t like it. We want to increasze this year’s resentfulnessz around Christmas. Any suggestionsz?” They were grinning.

Gabriel just shrugged.

“Make a few new brands of plastic Christmas trees, make them look as nice as you can, and then make sure they fall apart with the tiniest piece of decoration, forcing people to buy a new one that hopefully will be too one of yours and have the exact same problem. I guess many humans will give up eventually and get angry each time they remember that this year they can’t have a Christmas tree”. It was an alright idea, he supposed. Just the first thing that he thought it would piss humans off. He didn’t knew much about Christmas traditions, but he did recall reading a fifteen pages report from Aziraphale talking about how important Christmas trees were.

And it didn’t affect the religious side of Christmas, which was probably a win for everyone involved. Except humans.

Beelzebub just raised an eyebrow surprised.

“Well, although we were aiming to act at a bigger szcale, you know corporationzs exploiting workersz kind of thing, this idea of yours is worth noting. Hazzstur, write it down and send it back to the product development department, let’s szee what we can do”.

“Yes, your Prince”.

The rest of the meeting went by without Gabriel intervening again, busy enough as he was just observing the powerful dynamic between Beelzebub and their Dukes. Nevertheless, it ended shortly after, the demons obviously uncomfortable with his presence.

Once the TV went off, Beelzebub let themselves fall into the sofa, completely loosing their powerful aura.

“I’m glad you didn’t approve on the hazardous toy that would kill many children this Christmas” he commented.

Beelzebub just waved their had dismissingly.

“Hell is juszt incredibly awful at designing toysz. We wouldn’t have szold a szingle toy even if the marketing department put all their personnel on it”.

Gabriel shrugged. He was going to keep looking at the bright side. A thousand of children wouldn’t die on Christmas. And besides, he had something more important in mind than hypotheticals about what Hell could or couldn’t do.

“Hey, Beelz, come outside. I want to show you something”.

“I’m szzorry, Gabe, I have to finiszh a lot of paperwork…” They let the sentence trail as colour claimed their cheeks at their use of a nickname for the angel.

Gabriel just smiled victoriously.

“Come on, _Beelz_” he emphasized the last word “I have been working on it hours”.

Their eyes shot up, curious even after embarrassing themselves.

“Isz that what you were doing in the garden before?”

“Yes. We can finish the paperwork afterwards”. He extended one hand for Beelzebub to take and that was all it took. The demon just grabbed his hand and allowed him to drag them outside.

Just as they stepped in the garden, Beelzebub left a soft gasp escape their lips.

All the flowers Gabriel had imagined were there, roses, sunflowers, jasmine. But also dozens of daisies. Mostly soft yellow ones, a colour he knew Beelzebub liked, but also white and violet. They were intermingled with roses, grouped together tastefully in the small parcel.

A little table with two chairs had been placed near the window and a small artificial lake the size of a puddle.

“Oh, Gabriel” They whispered.

“Should I take that as a compliment? Do you like it?”

“Of coursze. I haven’t szeen anything thisz beautiful szince the Garden”. Since I fell, remained unspoken.

Gabriel flinched, but tried to conceal it as best as he could, allowing Beelzebub to walk around enjoying the sight.

“Should I asszume that the daiszzies are in my honour?” They almost purred once they were again near him, besides the door.

Gabriel didn’t answer, instead bending down to cut one yellow daisy (that grew back immediately) and place it on the demon’s ear, fingers tracing their jaw as he did so.

For a second, Gabriel thought Beelzebub was going to throw it away and mutter something about demons not wearing flowers, but instead, they just flushed crimson red.

“We need to get inszide. There is work to do”. And past by him as fast as they could. But they kept the flower on.

Gabriel just followed them with a smile towards the offices, just to realise, as he entered the room, that the wall that separated both offices was not there anymore, so that the two tables were facing each other in a big, white room. 

“If we work together, we work together” The demon offered as all explanation, still wearing the flower in their hair. The sentence was purposefully obscure, but Gabriel just understood.

They worked until well after nightfall, until the paperwork in their table was reduced considerably and exhaustion read in both their faces.

“I’m taking a break. I will keep going tomorrow. Right now, I need to rest. And you should, too”.

Beelzebub raised their eyes from what they were reading.

“Yeah, I should indulge in some slothful behaviour”. They smirked.

Gabriel smiled at them.

“Good, I’m going to bed. Want to come with me?” Beelzebub’s eyes widened in a way that let the archangel know he had won this battle. After all, if Gabriel had name a lesson they had learned about Beelzebub in the last few months was that the best way of disarm them was by taking them by surprise. So, he just gave them a trademark smirk and cocked his hips a bit “And I fully plan on cuddling”.

He didn’t allow them to answer him, disappearing into the next room instead and miracling himself into the same clothing last nights. He should get proper pyjamas at some point, he thought.

Just as expected, Beelzebub followed shortly after. They let the flower rest in the nightstand near their side of the best and was going to get into bed when a hand prevented him from doing it.

“Change first”. Gabriel said, seriously. “Only clean clothes in bed”.

The demon sighed, but gave in without much fuss, changing with a snap into a black pair of simple, cotton pyjamas. The second they did, Gabriel pulled them into the bed so that their head was resting on his shoulder and his hand on their waist.

It was weird, touching the demon with just one layer of clothing between them. Not a jacket, a coat, an armour or a corset.

Beelzebub tensed but didn’t try to get rid of his embrace.

“Can I ask you a question, Beelz?”

“You can try”. He ignored how defensive they sounded.

“Had you ever had to take a policy decision without enough information to compare”.

“Of course, I had. Sometimes the Dukes are purposefully obscure with the information they share. Why?”

“Had that made you feel anxious? As if it you didn’t know where you are standing anymore?”.

“Hmmm, not really anxious, that’s more your thing, but yes” They turned their head upwards to look at him, but the angels’ eyes were fixed in an undetermined point in the wall.

“Well, I’m feeling exactly like that right now”.

“If you tell me more about the policy, I can try to get you more information, I-“

“Is not that, Beelz. There isn’t any policy decision to make right now. It’s about us” The demon tensed again in his arms and Gabriel run his finger over their neck to try to get them relax. “I want to know where we are standing”.

“I-“

“Shhh. Let me finish. I just need to know if this is just business to you or if you consider me a friend. Because I do consider you one. And don’t worry, I’m perfectly conscious about the risks implied in befriending a demon and will be _very cautious_ around you. But I still need to know what you feel. Friends?”

He allowed himself to talk so fast that he knew it would difficult Beelzebub understanding him. But he needed to. Because something in what he had just say hurt like hell and Gabriel didn’t want to think too much about it.

Those weren’t the words he wanted to say, but it was the closest he could get.

Beelzebub kept quiet a few moments more, until finally, their body relaxed against his and they turned around so they were facing him but still wrapped in his embrace.

“Yes, asszhole. I will be your friend”. They tried to make it look like some sort of prize they were gifting to Gabriel, but the slight tremor in their voice betrayed their emotions. He smiled.

“Good”. And kissed their forehead.

Beelzebub just hummed in response, eyes closed, before snapping them open.

“By the way, asszhole, thank you for the daisziezs. Thank you for remembering it”.

“No problem, Beelz”. He tried to remain quiet but failed. “Why are they your favourites?”

The demon in his arms just shrugged.

“Becausze no one really likesz them. They are no one’sz favourite so I decided they would be mine”.

Gabriel didn’t say anything else and after a while, the prince of Hell finally drifted out in sleep, with an archangel watching them dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi dears!
> 
> I hope you like the chapter. If I'm honest I'm not 100% happy with it, but if I keep trying to change it I will never update. So sorry, next one will be better :)
> 
> I'll update again very soon with the christmas special. The 24th or the 25th, depending on how busy I am. 
> 
> Have a nice day <3


	12. Let it snow

It had been Gabriel’s idea to do something for Christmas. After all, it was quite an important date for Heaven. But it had been Beelzebub’s idea to make it about human’s traditions. It was neutral ground, they had said.

And that’s how they had found themselves decorating a Christmas tree while Frank Sinatra sang Let it snow for the fifth time (still Gabriel considered a victory the fact that he had been able to make Beelzebub listen to anything that wasn’t Mariah Carey. Apparently, they loved her in Hell).

Gabriel had been doing research too, making sure he understood the basics of Christmas on Earth to “not make a fool of himself” in Beelzebub’s words. And he was trying to show it off.

“And what about the presents? Lovely human tradition”. He said cheerfully.

“Uh that was us”

“What?”

“The present giving was our idea. You know, making a religious festivity about consumerism. We are still proud of it”.

Gabriel smiled.

“Of course. We all know making children happy is doing Satan’s work”.

Beelzebub ignored him and Gabriel went for the second box of Christmas decorations, taking some lights and a Mistletoe branch tied with ribbons.

“Let me guess. Mistletoe was Hell’s idea too, right?” He said, smiling while tantalizing holding a mistletoe decorative branch. It was worth giving it a try, Gabriel guessed. In all honestly, Gabriel wasn’t even sure about the reaction he wanted to provoke in Beelzebub. A kiss? For them to tell him he was being stupid?

At this point, he would take anything, as long it allowed him to see where they were standing. He could deal with rejection. He could _definitely_ deal with acceptance. But he just wasn’t sure he could stand another night of not knowing what was going on between them.

Beelzebub just glanced to the flower in his hand.

“Is that Mistletoe?” They asked.

“Yes”.

“Nah, it doesn’t look familiar. Probably a human invention, who knows”.

“Oh” He tried to hide his disappointment and failed miserably. Beelzebub frowned.

“Hey, but just because I don’t know it, doesn’t mean we can’t put it up. I don’t mind. You could… hang it over the kitchen door. Herbs on the kitchen always look nice, right?”

Gabriel formed a half smile on his lips. He was still flattered when Beelzebub worried about him. They had come a long way in the past few months. That was nice, he supposed.

Except that Beelzebub went from “I want to kill him” to “I care about his feeling” while he had gone from “I want to kill them” to “I think I love them and not in an angelic way” and it just hurt too much.

“I will do just that” He said, trying to look content.

Keep on putting his show wasn’t going to be the hardest part of the night.

After all, Anna and Mario had invited them over for dinner. Gabriel had wanted to say no, but he knew Beelzebub really wanted to go. They loved food and he was starting to think they also liked Anna and Mario. He liked them too, the first beings that weren’t an angel or a demon he had spoken to in the past couple of millennia and it just felt so refreshing to be around them…

So he had agreed. And he had been reading about human traditions and customs and just human in general really to prepare for the dinner. He had been trying to eat some human food too, and although it had been hard he now could manage to eat some vegetables, given they were uncooked, without wanting to throw up.

But, as they walked outside their house, and specially when they finally arrive at Anna’s home, Gabriel was less and less sure he could make it.

They were greeted in the most kind way by Anna and the children, Mario still in the kitchen. They received endless compliments on their suits, which Gabriel accepted and Beelzebub dodge as they could. They were still not used to been told they looked nice and it being a good thing. They looked way better than just nice though.

For humans Christmas was about eating and Anna and Mario weren’t the exception. Gabriel had known that before coming and had mentally prepared himself. It wasn’t that bad if he tried to forget that he was putting organic materials into his body, but the constant comments of the humans about how nice the food tasted made it extremely hard.

It was mostly okay, however, because the portions were small, just some nice starters. And love was all around, the family obviously happy of being with each other. That made things more bearable, he guessed. He could nibble some cheese and enjoy how dearly those children loved their parents.

Or so he thought, until the main dish arrived. Gabriel honestly didn’t know there was going to be a main dish, he always forgot how much humans actually needed to eat, but now it was obvious it was the main attraction of the dinner.

Mario put a plate in front of him and Gabriel felt sick right away. It was meat stuffed with _more meat_ and some berries and nuts. It just looked so heavy, so… organic it was disgusting.

“This looks delicious, thank you Mario He heard Beelzebub say by his side.

“Yeah” He forced himself to agree.

He just couldn’t eat that.

Beelzebub’s hand found its way to his tight and squeeze him tightly. Encouraging him softly. And just as often happened Beelzebub’s touch was enough to send a spark over his body, enough to snap him out of his mental fog.

He took one bite. It wasn’t that bad, he guessed. At least the flavour was alright.

He nibbled a few more bites, until he thought he had done enough of an effort to not look rude and let the fork down on his plate.

“It was scrumptious, Mario, but I’ve been feeling a bit sick of my stomach lately, and don`t think I can eat more. The cold isn’t treating me well this year” He said with a smile.

Apparently, the humans bought it immediately and start asking about his health and recommending home remedies to feel better. Gabriel just nodded and smile, politely ignoring their talk.

___

Beelzebub and Gabriel walked side to side, their arm laced around his. They had let the house like that, to keep up with appearances, but none of them had made an attempt to drift apart. Not even when they left the village and got close to their house.

“You did very well in the dinner, Gabriel” Beelzebub said, breaking the comfortable silence between them “I know it was hard”.

Gabriel shrugged.

“I’ve had it worse. Plus, it’s been a nice night. Humans are so different from angels… It’s quite nice to be around them from time to time”.

He would never acknowledge it, but he was starting to understand Aziraphale and his insistence on living like a human, surrounded by humans.

As a matter of fact, he rarely thought of going back to Heaven anymore, and that sort of scared him.

“They are quite different from demons too”.

“Do you like them?” He asked.

“Yeah. They are so full of curiosity, always ready to challenge the rules. It’s refreshing”.

“Hmm-hm” He agreed. He liked more the love they excluded, way more powerful than the love any angel could have. Because it was a love for concrete people, concrete things and that made it more powerful than the general love angels normally exude. Normally, because he was sure that if there was an angel around him right now, they would be feeling a very concrete love for a concrete being coming from him.

“You know what? I actually saw they had mistletoe hanging too”.

“Really?”

“Yes” Beelzebub unlocked their arms and stepped forward, snapping their fingers to miracle the door open. “So, I got curious and googled it. Definitely not our creation. Although it has some interesting… uses”.

“Oh”. He tried to step forward into the house, but Beelzebub stopped him. They were standing over the two steps of the kitchen door, which made them almost as tall as Gabriel.

“Doesn’t look like Heaven’s thing either. Which mean it is one hundred percent human” They took an unnecessary deep breath. “And I guess that tonight is all about human traditions, right?”.

Before Gabriel could even think about an answer, Beelzebub was leaning over him, lips touching, softly. Gabriel first froze, and then trembled uncontrollably, bringing one of his hands to Beelzebub’s face and the other to their waist. He opened his lips and Beelzebub got the cue, deepening the kiss.

When they broke apart, they were both trembling, and not just from the cold.

“I’ve never-” Gabriel started.

“Of course we have never” Beelzebub cut in “This is a human thing”.

He had always known that demons, just like angels, didn’t kiss. They hated touch, just like any other ethereal creature that had ever existed. But it was somehow comforting having Beelzebub admit that he wasn’t the only one without experience.

“I think I like this human invention more than food” He muttered.

“Really? I’m not that sure. I might need a bit more of experimentation” They tried to make it sound cool and suave, but the blush extending over their face and neck betrayed them.

Gabriel supressed a smile and leaned in again for a second kiss, this time more confident, the trembling almost inexistent now. Beelzebub pushed down his hand on their waist, making him drop it _lower_ and then intertwined their hands behind his head, fingers caressing his neck. It was surprisingly soft coming from the Lord of Hell. Or, it would have been surprisingly soft hadn’t Gabriel been living with them for some months now.

They pressed against his body and Gabriel did the only thing that felt right in that moment. He grabbed Beelzebub more firmly and lift them up, without breaking the kiss. They laced their legs around his waist in a reflex movement and Gabriel walked inside.

He was barely conscious that it had begun to snow, which he was sure was pretty unusual for that part of the earth, and a fireplace he didn’t know it existed was burning softly in the living room.

He was pretty sure one of those miracles had been his, but couldn’t tell which.

He smiled into the kiss, suddenly understanding the song.

_Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays and I hope you like this christmas special!


	13. Chapter 13

Beelzebub woke up to a, thanks Satan, empty bed. The sun shone bright as always and the window was open, the cold winter breeze refreshing the bedroom. Fortunately, the duvet kept them warm and cosy.

A part of them longed to stay in bed all day, enjoying the warmth and sun and fresh air that smelled like chimney and wet earth. Another, bigger part of them felt the urge to move before Gabriel came back, because if he did and found them still _there_…

If that were to happen, Beelzebub knew literally nothing bad would occur to them. Gabriel wouldn’t hurt them. They knew that, rationally. Just like the knew that the worst case scenario would just be a conversation with the archangel.

But a conversation they didn’t want to have. Not at all.

So, they found the strength to slither out of the bed and put on the shirt Gabriel had been wearing last night. It was stupid to notice that it smelled like him still, and way stupider to feel comforted by that. But then again, Beelzebub thought, they had been doing a lot of stupid things lately. 

They resisted the urge to throw the pillow across the room, just to let out some of the energy that was building up in them, because, yes, they had fucked up in a way they never thought it was even possible to fuck things up.

And the worst part is that there was no way of fixing it. Even if, as it would probably end up happening, Gabriel and them decided to ignore everything that happened last night (and, if things came back to normal soon enough and they were allowed to return back to Heaven and Hell, everything else) they were already way to screwed. They were just too involved at that point.

Too compromised.

Which was probably the worst way of saying “too in love” possible, but Beelzebub was not ready to admit that to themselves. They knew it, of course, because after 6000 years of existence they couldn’t lie to themselves anymore, but there was a difference between knowing something and accepting it.

They decided to go downstairs, because the air in the room was filled with the smell of the flowers Gabriel had planted in the garden and because the space in there was too small for everything they were feeling right now.

Walking down the stairs into the first floor meant realizing that the world was (surprisingly) still the same. That everything was still going on just as it had yesterday, unchanged in most part, ignoring the turmoil inside them. The only evidence of last night having existed was the still warm ashes in the chimney and the melting snow outside.

They walked to the kitchen, where the sun was the brightest, more out of habit than anything else, to find it smelling of freshly brewed coffee. Something stung in their chest. Gabriel had made a habit out of making them coffee every morning. He never had any, making it just for the demon, but Beelzebub never questioned it. They understood it, the urge of doing something so mundane, so humane, to bring some sense of normality or purpose to their now weirdest lives. Sleeping was the same thing. Enjoyable, numbing, and a nice way of spending empty hours of the day.

Somehow, pretending to live human lives up to a certain point was the most comforting thing they could do.

Ironically enough, it was extremely distressing, because for each day of quiet calm in that house, Beelzebub hated Hell a bit more. They were pretty sure that Gabriel felt similarly about Heaven, but they hadn’t asked him yet. It would have been incredible cruel. 

There were so many conversations they wanted to have with him and yet they never asked. It was because it still felt weird wanting to know things about him, wanting to talk to him. Caring about what he might think. Old habits die hard, they supposed, but in the grand scheme of things this one had died fairly quickly.

They let themselves fall on the chair, the cup of coffee warming their hands.

They were fucked. And Gabriel was fucked too. That last thought was somehow even worse.

The realization of caring more for someone else than for themselves for the first time in what had been almost an eternity struck them so hard they barely acknowledge the door of the kitchen opening until Gabriel was standing right in front of them.

They didn’t dare to meet his eyes.

“Good morning” He said, cheerfully. He smelled like wet earth and Beelzebub assumed he had been working in the garden to clear his mind. They hopped it had worked, because at least one of them should be able to think straight.

“Thank you for the coffee” They said. Because it felt safer than saying anything else. Because it was a nice substitute for all the words crowding their mind.

“You are welcome. I like making it, so no worries”.

“Hmm”.

Gabriel dropped to his knees, so that he was almost at eye level with Beelzebub, so that it was harder to avoid his eyes. He was way too damn tall, the demon thought.

He raised a hand to cup their face, moving the hair out of the way, and Beelzebub couldn’t stop themselves from flinching. They regretted almost instantly, because the touch of the angel did not bother them, it was the exact opposite, and they were grateful when Gabriel did not withdraw his hand.

“Are you alright?”

Oh, how long has it been since the last time anyone asked them that question.

So long that they were not even sure what to answer anymore.

“I don’t know”.

Gabriel moved a bit away and it took all Beelzebub had not to lean against him to keep the contact.

“Are you regretting it? The kiss? The…”

“No” They didn’t let him finish. From the two falls they had experienced, this one was definitely not the one they regretted, and they wouldn’t allow anything or anyone to say otherwise. Not even themselves.

They should probably say that out loud, let Gabriel know that it had been more than alright, but they couldn’t bring themselves to do it.

Somehow the angel understood it, as he always understood the things they left unsaid.

“Good. Because I don’t regret it either”.

“You might end up doing it”. And they shouldn’t have said that, but they couldn’t stop themselves from doing it. Because they were too scared and did not control what they were feeling and that had never happened to them before. 

“I don’t see how that would happen”.

“Becausze maybe it is a szin!” And you are the archangel fucking Gabriel, you can’t szzin.

“Love? I don’t think so.”

Beelzebub felt like all the air they didn’t need to breathe had been punched out of them with that single word. It gave them a hope they didn’t want. It made them wish for things that would never work out.

Because that small cottage in the middle of nothing was just temporary. Then they will return to Hell and Heaven, and no soft feelings survived neither of those places.

They didn’t want to love to be hardened again by Hellfire, this time against their will.

Too bad they didn’t have a say on what they felt.

“Maybe love no but fraternizing with the Lord of Hell lookzs like szomething that would szurely anger her”.

“I will be fine. She likes me”.

“Szhe liked me too”.

Gabriel drew in a deep breath.

“Beelz, listen, it will be alright”.

“I’ve szeen angelzs fall for lessz, Gabriel”.

He shook his head.

“If I were to fall, I would have already done so”.

The demon closed their eyes and let out a shaking breath.

“How can you be so calm about it”.

“I have faith on her, on her plan, on this being part of it”.

“Yeah, well, I loszzt my faith a long time ago”

Gabriel stood up, towering over them, and kissed their forehead softly.

“Good thing I have enough faith for the two of us”.

Beelzebub did meet his eyes this time, trying to not spill the tears that were threatening at the corner of their eyes. They were too tired. They didn’t want to fight it anymore. Honestly, at this point the just wanted the life that these few months in the cottage have hinted it, but with everything this time. The angel included.

“What do you need, Beelz?” he asked, and oh Satan, he was just perfect.

“I need… Szome freszh air. Szzome alone time”

Gabriel nodded softly, kissed their cheek and stepped backwards to give them space.

Beelzebub just stood up, feeling somehow a zombie, and walked outside. It was awkward, but better than standing there, with Gabriel so close and their mind so clouded.

Just as they were going out the door, Gabriel called out.

“Beelz, just remember… Even if you think I might fall, that’s still my decision to make”.

The demon just swallowed and stepped outside.

***

Beelzebub walked as much as they could before feeling the first pang of pain in their head. When they did, they just took a step backwards, making sure that any discomfort disappeared, doing it mostly for Gabriel’s sake.

They were not far away, but because the house was on a small hill, once they lied on the cold grass, they knew no one could see them from the inside, which was enough privacy for the moment.

They knew exactly what they wanted to do. They knew that Gabriel wanted it too. And of course, it was going to be hard once they went downstairs again, but right now it felt like the only right thing to do.

No even when they were an angel had they felt more holy.

Could it really be wrong if it felt so good?

Honestly the demon didn’t know. But Gabriel looked like he did. The confidence he had spoken with earlier, the clear look in his eyes… He was sure it would work out. And they were sure they _wanted_ it to work out.

***

It was barely dinner time when Beelzebub came back, some grass leaves stuck in their hair and the black cat in their arms. The angel smiled when he saw them opening the door, looking relieved and extremely happy at the same time. Beelzebub felt something that closely resembled guilt. 

“Hello there… and hello to the cat as well” Gabriel said, as he watched them get inside. “Can I ask what you are doing with him or...?” A part of the demon was grateful Gabriel did not address the elephant in the room immediately, because they didn’t think they could take it.

Beelzebub shrugged.

“Found him near the housze. He probably followed uzs laszt night. Anywaysz it is too cold for him outszide right now, and he isz too dumb to look for a refuge, so I thought we could keep him until it getsz warmer”.

“Until it gets warmer” Gabriel mused, smiling. “It’s fine, of course, lets just get him some nice food”. He scratched the cat ears.

Their eyes met in the short distance that separated them. Beelzebub found themselves wanting to close it so bad it hurt. 

“Did you had the time to think about the other thing?” Gabriel asked, and if there was an anxious note in his voice, Beelzebub made sure to ignore it.

“Yeszz”

“And well?”

“I am here, right?”

“You had to come back anyways” He answered, gazing at their rings.

“Yesz. But I chose to. I would have, even if we were not wearing the damned thing”.

Gabriel smiled and it shone like anything Beelzebub had ever seen before. He leaned in, taking the cat out of their hands and placing at the same time a kiss in the corner of their mouth. Too close and to far at the same time from where Beelzebub wanted it.

They didn’t even had time to chase it before the angel stepped back, grinning.

“You know, I’ve been looking around the house and I’ve managed to turn on the TV. Maybe we can cuddle and see what humans watch in their free time?”

“TV wasz our thing, maybe you should be careful with it”.

Gabriel just grinned harder.

“I’m pretty sure TV was a human thing, and that the demon Crowley just lied about it”.

Beelzebub allowed a half smile to form in their mouth, following the angel into the living room. Gabriel was probably right about Crowley. They just hopped he was right about everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy!
> 
> First things first, I'M SO SORRY.  
It's been more than a month since the last update, but I don't forgert my children, don't worry.  
It's just that these two months have been so, so hard and busy that I just couldn't keep up with the writing. But things should get easier now and I'm actually getting some rest!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this update as much as I enjoyed coming back to the story <3 
> 
> Comments and Kudos makes me the happiest girl around and motivate me like Hell <3
> 
> Have a nice day!


	14. Chapter 14

Falling into the human lifestyle was the easiest thing to do.

Unsurprisingly, Beelzebub’s favourite TV shows show were political talk shows where people shouted at each other even for the most absurd detail. Surprisingly, Gabriel’s favourite TV shows were cooking shows, although he still didn’t eat much, only daring to try those things Beelzebub swore that were truly delicious, he enjoyed the tension. It only made perfect sense, then, that the shows they always agreed on were detective series, with just the right amount of blood to satisfice Beelzebub.

However, the thing that amazed them the least, but at the same time felt more natural than anything, was how easily they had fallen into a rhythm with each other since the first evening after Christmas, or maybe since the kiss the night before.

New years eve came and went, leaving them feeling changed in a way that changes of millennia could never. That night they went to the village’s square to hear the countdown of the couple of hundreds of people that reunited. At the collective scream of Happy New Year, they had kissed each other, without knowing it was what humans did, just because it felt right. That night, they went to bed when the sun was up. They spent the first few hours of the new year at Anna’s house, with Mario and some friends, drinking wine, getting drunk, playing cards, telling secrets.

And when they woke up, way past midday, something in the air had changed with the year.

The next thing that changed was the season. Spring came, and Gabriel started spending more hours in the garden. Beelzebub too, although they mostly just sat near him to read and drink lemonade or tea. Just to keep him company. The cat was still with them, chasing insects in the garden and demanding food every morning. He was not “the cat” anymore. Now he was “Henry, the cat” and had developed a strong preference for sleeping on Gabriel’s paperwork.

He couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of the angels would think when they read received his reports full of cat’s hair.

The paperwork had been increasing lately while the time they dedicated to it was decreasing. It had been six months since they were married, the rings didn’t burden them anymore and Heaven did not feel like home to Gabriel. Not even the memories that he used to have. Sitting down, working for hours, lost in those pages, it was something he did now out of habit and courtesy. It was, for the first time in his life, not his solely purpose. But still, when he gazed over the pile of work, when he sat down, near Beelzebub to start working, he could see that the alliance was not going well.

Nowadays, he discussed those problems with Beelzebub and then send thoughtful suggestions that took into account all points of view and hoped for the best.

They never discussed it, but they both knew (and had known since the very start) that the alliance Heaven and Hell could never work. Hell rebelled and Heaven’s punishment was the Fall. No one forgot and no one will forgive.

But Gabriel wished so hard they would. So that his days with Beelzebub would never end.

He sometimes wondered if he could stay on Earth. Just like Aziraphale did. Forget who he was, become who he wanted to be.

In reality, there weren’t that many things Gabriel was willing to change. He just wanted less work, less authority and the ability to give in more into curiosity. To experiment more. It still felt weird, doing those things he would have never considered doing before.

It was probably rather stupid, given that the number one thing he never thought it was even possible was falling in love with a demon.

A demon that was slowly waking up by his side.

“Morning” he smiled.

“Hmm. You should have woken me up earlier if you were already up”.

“You seemed peaceful”.

“I am a demon, Gabe, I don’t know peace”. The warm tone in their voice betrayed their words as a smile appeared on their lips. Gabriel’s felt his own face softening at the sight.

And to think he had spent six thousand years without seeing that smile and thinking he was in Heaven.

Heaven paled in shame in comparison to that small corner of the human world. Hell, even The Garden didn’t feel like paradise anymore.

“Szztop sztaring”. The demon grumbled.

Gabriel chuckled.

“Sorry, I was just thinking”.

“I didn’t know you could”.

“Truly hilarious, dear”. The pet name escaped his lips before he could stop it. It had been a while since they became something more than whatever they were before, but still it felt so alien that the words burned in his tongue, and he never knew what was best to alleviate the pain, if swallowing up or spitting them out.

But Beelzebub didn’t react to those names anymore, and that was the closest to explicit permission to call them “babe” that the angel was getting.

“I was thinking on how much I have changed since I came here with you. How many things I have learned. How happy I am now”. He said, answering the demon’s unasked question. 

Beelzebub nodded absently, turning around in the bed to face him fully.

“That’s true. You used to be an asszzhole”.

Gabriel couldn’t help but smile.

“Really? And what exactly am I now?”

“An asszhole I like” The demon grinned and something warm filled Gabriel’s chest, because asshole was the closest thing to a pet name he was getting, but somehow, he was more than okay with that.

“And you? Would you say you’ve changed?”

“No”. The answer came surprisingly quick. The angel was startled by it, but knew better than to comment on it, just waiting for Beelzebub to explain themselves.

“I have always been like thisz, I think”. They extended a hand to capture the sunlight that slipped through the curtains and hit their face. “I just forgot about it”.

Gabriel lamented one more time not remembering them before the Fall. Not knowing who they were before God punished them in the cruellest way possible,

“Hell doezs that to you, you know? Many demonsz say it was the Fall, the pain of it, the… changesz on how you looked. But that isn’t it. Hell itszelf it’s a dark, humid, cramped. Szzterile. And the only thing that can never grow up there isz Hope. After the fall, we were just thrown there, hurt and confuszed and before we could realisze it, we lost all faith, not in God, but in the future. We hardened up, we became who we weren’t and try to forget about the reszt”.

Gabriel said nothing, just looking at them, unable to hide the sadness in his eyes. It was impossible because imagining Beelzebub, the Beelzebub he had discovered here, who drank warm drinks out of nice mugs, and lied for hours in bed, enjoying sunlight, the Beelzebub who fed stray cats and always managed to make silences comfortable, slowly becoming the demon he used to know was painful.

Of course, he liked that Beelzebub as well. Powerful, ruthless, a worthy adversary and one of the most intellectual challenging beings he had ever talked to. He would have gotten to love that Beelzebub as well, because he loved that facet of them right now. He would have probably fall in love with almost every version possible of the demon, because love, romantic love for an equal, was not made for him, unless the person he loved and who loved him back was Beelzebub, of that he was sure, and not even eternity could change that.

But that didn’t mean that he was incredible grateful that he end up loving Beelzebub as he knew them. Someone who put so much value on the simple things that had manage to make him fall in love with humans lives just by observation.

He probably stared a bit too long because Beelzebub propped themselves on their elbows, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“I think I will take a szhower” They said, softly, breaking the train of Gabriel’s thought.

“Want some company?” He answered before even thinking what he was saying, making Beelzebub stop just as they got out of the bed.

Beelzebub just grinned at him, playfully.

“I thought that angelzzs were by definition clean? I don’t think you need one” They didn’t way for the answer, heading into the bathroom.

Gabriel smiled at them and let their head fall on the pillows. He could probably keep up with the teasing or maybe even join them directly in the bathroom. If something was sure is that he would be welcome there. But he didn’t, and not because he did not want to, but because it was so obvious that Beelzebub wanted some space to themselves that Gabriel couldn’t even think about disrupting them.

They were of closed nature and opening up as they had must have been incredible difficult, it was just natural that they needed some alone time to regain control over their emotions and probably cry without anyone watching.

So he just stared at the celling, listening to the water falling into the tub and the gentle humming Beelzebub was probable not aware they were making, feeling absolutely content and fell asleep without even noticing it.

When he opened his eyes, Beelzebub was working on the bed, near him.

“Hey” He said, groggily,

“Finally! For szomeone who doeszn’t need to szleep you really szpend a lot of time doing szzo”.

“You could have waken me up”.

“And deal with you? No, thank you”.

Gabriel smiled.

“I’m glad you didn’t though” He said. “I dreamt with you”.

“A dirty dream, I hope”

The angel shook his head.

“We travelled around the Earth”.

“Hmm. I really never had the chance of doing szo. The demon life isz a bit more… underground”.

Gabriel propped himself on his shoulders.

“I know! That’s why we travelled in my dream. I planed everything for you. We started with Asia because I knew you would love the food and then moved into Oceania because –“

The demon shut him up with a soft kiss on his lips that quickly grew more passionate.

“With all my heart, Gabriel, God blessz you” They whispered, love dripping into their voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey theeere!  
Almost 2K of pure sugar! Enjoy!  
We are almost at the very end of this story, just one more chapter and the epilogue to go. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me in any way! Your Kudos and comment mean the world to me!


	15. Chapter 15

The snow had melted weeks ago and so did any reserve that still existed between them. Just like it happened to humans, to animals and to flower, Gabriel felt love blooming in him stronger than ever. And he knew Beelzebub felt the same about him.

He was drowned in love, a love that rarely found its way through words, but that was showed in thousand different little ways, almost daily. The archangel was sure that he had almost developed some resistance towards the feeling, just to be able to keep going with his live.

He had never felt that loved in all his life, and he was after all God’s favourite.

It was a blessing that he swore to himself he would share with Beelzebub. He will made them feel well-loved. And not just well loved, but loved with a grace that not even God herself could give.

And that meant, among other things, leaving a soft kiss on their wrist when they stretched, enjoying the again warm sunlight, the spring breeze.

“Good morning” He whispered.

“Hello”. They smiled and Gabriel felt his heart ache, because it was almost painful wanting someone that bad, wanting them to be perfectly happy so bad.

“What?” they asked, softly.

“Nothing” He smiled and kept silent.

He let his fingers trace the soft curve of their neck, hoping the gesture will let them know everything he was feeling.

God had let them fall without knowing, that one day, he would catch them and love them in a way that overpowered even the most divine affection.

He smiled to himself. If only God had known that he was waiting and would love them, that he was waiting to hold them as if they were the most precious creation.

Because they were.

“What do you want to do today” they asked, and what a long way had they come to want to adapt their plans to his, to spend more time together.

“Got some work. Maybe later we can go outside”

“A picnic?”

“Sure. What is a picnic?”

“Like lunch but in a park”.

He kissed their forehead.

“Sounds great” It did. Everything did lately. “Come on, let’s get some coffee”

“Hmm-hm. Let me get dresszed, I don’t want to work in pyjamazs”. Gabriel smiled and didn’t point out that their pyjamas was his shirt. He got out of the bed and went to the wardrobe to get dressed too, the demon still in bed.

They always needed quite a lot of time to get outside the covers. Sloth, they used to say. It was just another one of those little things that made routine.

*******

Sometimes, before tragic events, the people who will suffer them feel a weird, anticipatory feeling that get their senses going. Something deep inside them that goes “run!”, “hug her!”, “Pray!”

This was not the case.

The only warning Gabriel and Beelzebub got was the smell of sulphur before the floor in their living room (where they were working, Beelzebub sipping from their coffee cup, Gabriel sliding his hand on their thigh from time to time, just to remind them that he loved them) gave in and flaming stairs appeared, Dagon climbing them slowly.

Seconds after, Michael appeared too, in a way less dramatic way.

Beelzebub got their bitch face on in seconds and Gabriel squared his shoulders, back to the Boss attitude, in what could only be described as muscle memory.

“Greetings” He said, tense.

“Greetings, Gabriel. Beelzebub” Michael answered.

“I thought it was againszt Heaven etiquette to szzhow up unannounced?” Was Beelzebub’s only comment.

“You were ill-informed” The archangel answered.

“I szee. Typical of Heaven, fake advertiszing”.

“I will not bite, Beelzebub”.

“It’s Lord Beelzebub for you”.

Gabriel coughed loudly to stop the fight. Everyone’s attention went to him.

“What do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Michael?”

The archangel rearranged her sleeves, suddenly looking more awkward. 

“The arrangement is not working” Dagon said for her.

“Oh you mean the under negotiated forced marriage to szolve an inexistent political problem by allying two opposzite forcesz? I am szzhocked, truly” Snarled Beelzebub.

Gabriel eyed them. _You are not helping._  
They raised an eyebrow. _I know. I don’t give a fuck. Demon, remember? _Or something among those lines.

“Yes” Dagon stretched the word.

“So, we want to cancel it”. Michael intervened.

“The union? Was about f… time” He felt Beelzebub smirk, noticing how the cursing habit he tried to hide almost escaped his lips. “It has been rough lately. Too much paperwork”.

“We know, Gabriel, and we are sorry. The first thing you have to sign is divorce and then you can forget about them, about all this” Michael smiled apologetically and it was like a ice cold water was thrown on him.

Of course, heaven would have seen marrying Beelz as the worst thing possible. Of course, they couldn’t be together after the alliance was broken.

Of course.

Dagon coughed nervously.

“Yeah, my lord, we are very sorry as well”-

“Szzhut up, Dagon. I don’t want to hear a szingle word out of your mouth” And their voice sounded strained. Gabriel fought the urge to hug them.

Michael made two heavy looking treaties appear in her hands.

“Here is the divorce contract. Just one signature and you will be free”.

Gabriel took the treaty with the same feeling of dread he felt that first night when he took the ring from Uriel’s hand. As if his life was ending with that object.

How stupid he was that night. How wrong he was.

How he wished this was nightmare.

Beelzebub just dropped theirs heavily on the table, the cup miraculously still on the table.

“Great!” They exclaimed “You might come in a few hoursz, once we read thisz”.

Michael forced a smile.

“Just sign it, please. Make things easy for once, Beelzebub”.

“I am not szigning anything that will affect Hell without knowing exactly what’sz on it. I am szorry Heaven doesn’t know what professzionalism iszz szince the fall of the roman empire, but that iszz not my problem”

“Just-“

“Actually, Michael, I want to read it too” Gabriel made sure his voice was sweet in all the wrong ways, the dangerous ways.

“You used to just trust in the criteria of your brothers, Gabriel”.

“Yeah, then that criteria made them marry me to the lord of Hell to force an alliance that went terribly wrong. I just want to take things a bit more in hand now. Leave us, please”.

The angel lowered her gaze, fist flexing and unflexing by her sides.

“Yes, Gabriel” Michael gave in. She almost sounded hurt, but Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to care.

Dagon stepped forward.

“Let me just take the rings before we leave, as an evidence of our good faith” She extended her hands toward them, and reluctantly, the couple offered her their own. Saying no wasn’t an option.

A snap of her fingers was enough to feel the pressure on their hands disappear. For some reason, Gabriel expected it to hurt.

“Thank you” Gabriel said, not a bit of honesty in his voice.

“You may give me the rings”. He opened his hands, palms up.

“No”. He couldn’t help but exclaiming “I think I would like a reminder of… this treason”.

Beelzebub showed their fangs, dangerously.

“Yeah, I think I’m keeping mine too. Not szure if anyone haszz ever made a torture insztrument from a ring, but mine will be gloriousz”.

The threat was enough and both, the angel and demon left quickly afterwards, leaving Gabriel and Beelzebub to enjoy the last hours in their, now much darker, home.

They remained in desolated silence for a moment. A silence that was filled with shared thoughts.

_Baby, I’m trying but I can’t breathe. _

_What will happen with Henry, the cat?_

_Should we tell Mario and Anna?_

_My love, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave you_.

***

A few hours after, the atmosphere in the house was totally different. Although the afternoon sun shone furiously through the windows, it was sombre, since it lacked the light of a shared joy. The belongings they had, small treasures of a better life, putted safely away. Away from the eyes of those who would destroy them.

The love, still there, was way less tangible, the sorrow too deep for it to flourish.

They signed the treaties and somehow it felt like loosing their wings, like killing a part of themselves.

Gabriel managed not to cry. Beelzebub managed to not scream and destroy the damned document.

One last kiss, one last caress, one last look to their homes. One last breath to regain control over themselves before Dagon and Michael were summoned.

“Are you ready, then?” Was the archangel’s only greeting.

_No_. Thought Gabriel

“Yes” He said, instead.

“Perfect” The angel turned to Beelzebub, a beatifical smile painted in her face. “Was the treaty to you liking”.

“It wazs alright. A bit looszely written, Heaven’s thing, I supposze. But acceptable, after all”.

The smile in Michael’s face turned sour. Beelzebub had guessed correctly, and the treaty had been written largely by her. She loved having as much control as she could get around, well, everything.

Dagon, which was probably the only demon in Hell besides Beelzebub with some sort of instinct for diplomacy, snapped his fingers loudly, making the stairs to hell appear again. That was enough to momentarily distract Michael, who did the same.

“When you are ready, your highness”. The demon said.

Beelzebub rose up, followed by Gabriel almost immediately. They stretched their hand towards the angel, who shook it.

“I would say my pleaszure, but…” they trailed off.

“I know”. And he knew. After all those days, after all those nights together, Gabriel was pretty sure he had managed to master the silences of the demon beside him.

Their hands separated, without the usual lingering, just methodically, business-like.

“Are you impatient to go back home?” The demon asked, nonchalantly as they walked towards the stairs.

“I can’t way”. And he flashed them his best smile.

He just hoped that the demon could read the words unspoken between them.

“Goodbye, Asszhole”.

“Goodbye, Beelz”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi fam!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it :) Angst is my jam :)
> 
> There will be one last chapter and then a short epilogue, so don't worry, we still have time for our happy ending (maybe..?)
> 
> I know it has been too long but, well, the apocalypse sort of happenned, so I guess I have an excuse. After my exams (which have been rescheduled in the worst way possible during a pandemia yay!) I will finish the fic. 
> 
> Thank you for being there. Thank you for reading. 
> 
> Please stay safe and keep those around you safe too. Don't be too scared. We will make it out of this.
> 
> If you need anything, drop by my tumblr! @augi-goes-writing.
> 
> I love you all!


	16. Chapter 16

_Three days A.S (After Separation)_

It was around 10 or 11 pm. Not that Hell had clocks to check it. Or windows to the outside world. Or just the concept of time, hours, seasons.

Those things only existed in the home they had with Gabriel.

But their corporation had gotten used to the routine of resting most nights for most of the night, waking up with the sun and having a work schedule that actually ended at some point. Being wide awake now, in front of a pile of paperwork was a painful reminder of those times when they would be chatting in the garden with Gabriel or cuddling with him just right before falling asleep.

They let themselves fall on the throne in their office, after making sure the door was locked.

They were so tired. The last three days had been madness. Fixing everything that had been messed up in their absence, punishing the most irritating traitors, regaining their authority… It had been like bringing down a wall by punching it. It was almost depressing knowing that after all those millennia, Hell couldn’t survive without them.

Depressing and exhausting.

They closed their eyes, briefly. They were so tired that for a second they thought they would be able to fall asleep in the throne. 

But a throne was not a bed. And they had gotten used to the softness of their few months outside Hell.

Being there again was like falling all over again. Losing love and lightness just to fall in a dark pit where everything was sharp edges and coldness.

They opened their eyes just to find nothing they cared about.

With a sigh, they brought their hand up to their face and snapped their fingers.

Suddenly, they were back in the middle of the living room. It was dark and cold, colder than it had ever been since they first stepped inside.

When they lived there it used to always be so bright, so warm. Even during the firsts days, that know felt so behind, when being there with Gabriel was almost a torture, the house was always pleasant. 

Henry, the cat, who had been miraculously fed for the last couple of days, came to them, mewling. They lowered themselves, scratching him behind his ears and listening to the soft purrs.

“I’ve missed you too” they whispered and the words felt weird in their mouths, as if a few nights at Hell had already made them forget all the tenderness they used to show in that house, the tenderness they used to feel.

Henry, the cat, just mewled back in response and Beelzebub decided to take it as a “me too”.

They would have stayed there, just petting the cat and feeling the familiar air of their home, if it wasn’t for the loud crash of glass that suddenly came from the upper floor. Beelzebub rose up, heart racing, and rushed towards the stairs, stopping just by the bedroom door.

They wondered for a moment if they should shoot before asking and just jump inside, claws out, ready to destroy the intruder, because they had no doubt that whoever was there was an agent from either Heaven or Hell investigating the house, contaminating a sacred space and they couldn’t stand the thought.

They didn’t had to make a choice.

“Hello?” A voice called from the dark room. Beelzebub hearts skipped a jump at his voice. “Beelz? Is that you?”

They wanted answer, but no words could come out from their throat. Instead they just stepped inside, switching on the light so that he could see them.

In the middle of the bedroom, with a broken bottle of perfume at his feet, it was Gabriel. Their eyes meet and it felt like an electric shock. Suddenly, the demon was aware of all the yearning their body (and soul) had been supressing for the last few days and before Beelzebub could even process what was happening they were between his arms, face hidden in his neck and crying.

To their surprise, they were tears of relief.

Gabriel just pet their hair in silence, but they could feel the emotion building up in his chest, in his throat.

“I thought we were going to meet here in a week, not today”. He said in a whisper.

That had been the original plan. Wait a week, meet there, thing what to do next. A week had seemed like enough time to regain control over Hell and Heaven, and it wasn’t too far away. It had seemed bearable.

“I-“ _I couldn’t stand another night in Hell without you. I missed you_ “I could say the same thing about you”.

Gabriel chuckled and his chest vibrated with the sound.

“Yeah, I was just missing this place. And sleeping. On a bed. With you”. His fingers caressed their back mindlessly and, Heavens, they had missed that.

Beelzebub freed themselves of the angel’s embrace to look at his face.

“That’s just needy”. They teased.

“Maybe. Should I worry about it?”.

“Nah, It’s fine”. _I like it._ The feeling of being needed was more than fine actually. It made them warm in ways they didn’t knew that existed.

“Good” he took their hand slowly “Because tonight I need you to stay with me”.

Beelzebub smiled and got on their tiptoes to kiss him, softly on the lips.

“All you need to do is ask” _I’m yours. _

“Oh, Beelz” He whispered against their mouth, and the demon didn’t even have the chance to protest, because he captured their mouth in, this time, a way more heated kiss.

****

Morning came and this time they didn’t lie in bed for hours, enjoying the sun rays that came through the windows and each other’s company, although Beelzebub wish they could. But staying would be very dangerous, since they couldn’t afford anyone noticing they absence.

However, they did found time to have a coffee before leaving.

“Beelz”.

“Hmm?”

“You know how humans work somewhere and then come home every night?”

“Yes?”

“Well, that is another human tradition I want to try”.

Their eyes shot up to meet his because that sounded like a dream but also like absolute madness. That was technically living together, which was, technically, impossible.

“Yes” The words left their mouth before they could wrap their mind around the concept.

Gabriel just smiled brightly at them. He lowered himself and kissed them, holding them just a bit too tightly.

When they separated his eyes were shinning.

“Then, I’ll see you tonight, love”.

And with that he snapped his fingers, returning back to Heaven.

And Beelzebub should have felt cold because of his absence, but all they could feel was warmth, and a tingly happy feeling in their gut, because he had called them love and it was the most beautiful thing it had ever left his mouth.

They laid back on the chair, finishing the coffee and smiling.

They had to return to Hell, but now it didn’t feel like a hardship anymore.

Not when they had a home to return to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! 
> 
> We are almost done aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah  
I'm not ready to put an end to this story (which is why you are going to get an epilogue soon). Enjoy this final chapter in the meantime, in which we get back to our usual programming of just fluff and tbh this one was a bit too sweet even for me. 
> 
> But anyways, there it goes. 
> 
> I hope you are all staying safe and trying to be happy despite everything that is going on.
> 
> Have an awesome day and thanks for reading!


	17. Epilogue

The smell of sulphur let him know that the demons had arrived before they opened the door of the meeting room. There had been a surprising number of meetings between Heaven and Hell lately. A new way of doing politics, that, for sure, had nothing to do with Gabriel and Beelzebub having more alone time to discuss things and were more willing to make everything easier for them.

Yes, an allegiance would not work out in the short time. But Gabriel knew (first-hand experience) that the best way to eventually reach one started with cordiality. With a not-aggression treaty. Eventually with cohabitation.

The allegiance will come naturally the day angels and demon started to learn from each other.

Beelzebub, on the other hand, was way less optimistic. For them, Heaven and Hell were absolutely irreconcilable, She had made sure of it a long time ago. Still, they were willing to put the effort in keeping the relationship between the two as peaceful as possible, because they couldn’t afford a war. Not when for the first time they had something to lose.

The door opened when Hastur kicked it angrily.

Gabriel rose up, a little bit too excitedly and smiled a little bit too sincerely, at the sigh of the demons. Well, in particular, at the sigh of one demon.

“Long time no see, uh?” He laughed under his breath at his own joke. Beelzebub’s lips curved slightly upwards, in a smile they tried to repress. No one else reacted, but Gabriel supposed it made sense since everyone else in the room really thought that they had been a long time without seeing each other.

Beelzebub just sat down without commenting on the joke. The movement allowed Gabriel to catch a glimpse of gold around their neck and between the layers of fabric and he had to stop himself from smiling once more. He already knew that Beelzebub carried the ring with them at all times, holding it close to their chest with a small golden chain, but for some reason, seeing it always made him happy. He also wore his, always combined with other two matching rings to make it look like a different, wider one. He guessed it worked, since no one upstairs had said anything yet.

It was a dangerous game, he knew it. What would happen if they were discovered? Beelzebub was pretty sure that they would get the Holy Water slash Hell Fire treatment. Gabriel wanted to have faith that maybe She wouldn’t allow it to happen. But She had been silent for too long. Sometimes he worried he was not Her favourite anymore.

“If you had enough with the greetingsz, we would like to sztart working now”. Beelzebub’s voice shook him from his thoughts.

“Yes, hon… yes, of course. The earlier we start, the earlier we finish”. He laughed nervously. “Believe me, I do not want to spend a minute more than necessary here, with you”.

Beelzebub glared him in quite a warning way. Gabriel frowned slightly. What for? He was just playing his part, and quite convincingly, if he may say that himself.

The demon just sighed.

“Okay…” The dropped a pile of annotated papers on top of the table. “We have read your draft for the non-aggreszion treaty, and we have szome szuggesztions”

“Of course, lets hear them”. He smiled.

“That isz literally why we are here, you idiot”.

“You talk, I answer, this is how it works. It is called basic courtesy”.

“It iz called being dumb”.

Michael coughed softly, preventing him from answering again. Gabriel nodded, it was not the time for bickering.

When they were sure there would be no more interruptions, Beelzebub started to talk again.

“Okay, fiszt of all, we want to make clear in the treaty that in casze of unjusztified offensze there isz a right to defend ourszelvesz the way we conszider adequate”

“And what is considered an offense?”

The demon smiled dangerously.

“Whatever you sztupid angelsz do that bother usz”.

“Or vice versa” Gabriel noted

“Or vice versza, of course”.

“We still need a better definition. We don’t want Hell breaking the treaty just because you feel like it or something bothers you”.

“You think we would break our word that easzily?”

“Honestly? You don’t have the best record”.

“Excusze you?”

“I think you’ve heard me”.

“Are you calling me a liar?”.

“Of course not, Beelz… ebub!” He winced, hoping that the pet name had gone unnoticed.

“Then why don’t you accept our szugesztion asz it isz”.

“Because you and your demons have talent for finding legal loopholes, and I really want this to work”.

“Szo you don’t truszt uszz?” The demon stood up, their hands landing on the table.

“If we trusted each other, a non-aggression treaty wouldn’t be necessary!” He imitated their movement, landing his hands close to theirs. So close that, actually, they were touching. Beelzebub took a heartbeat too long to separate them, their fingers brushing his as they did it. Gabriel let out a shaky breath at the gesture. It meant that they weren’t really angry at him. Good.

The demon crossed their arms.

“Okay. Then we will bring a better definition to the next meeting. On our own termsz”.

“Sure, dar… Sure. But we will revise it and make sure it suits our terms as well” He gave them his trademark false smile. A spark of appreciation shone on the demons’ eyes, briefly. They had always liked his business asshole façade.

“Next isszue, then. The meeting pointzs. You have noted here that it szhould be on earth, asz it isz neutral ground. I agree. However, we think that your petition for them to be in public szpacesz is juszt… well, sztupid. We don’t want humansz to diszcover uz”.

“They won’t discover us if we behave like normal people”.

“Gabriel, you are physzically unable of behaving like a normal angel, let alone a normal human”. Something in the demon’s voice became more familiar and relaxed and Gabriel had to stop himself from smiling. That had been a conversation they had had too many times since they went to earth. Beelzebub always insisted that he should act more lowkey if he wanted humans to believe he was a normal person. It was just one of their vagaries, being frustrated when he played human. He never really cared much about it, humans suspected nothing and thought he was fine, so he was doing better than they thought.

“Beelzebub does have a point there, Gabriel. Sometimes you do get a bit carried away with your human act” Michael said, softly. Beelzebub gave him a shit-eating grin that practically screamed I told you.

He sighed. As if Miguel had seen him try to be human in the last two millennia. It was not worth fighting for, he guessed.

“So, what do you guys propose?”.

“Hotelsz roomsz. Hotelsz are neutral szpacezs szo they won’t belong to any side in particular, but they are private asz well, szo we won’t be interrupted”.

Gabriel smirked.

“I’m sure you are informed, Beelzebub, but people who meet at hotels don’t really negotiate”. A faint blush spread over the demons’ cheeks, probably more due to the unexpected of the comment than the content itself. Gabriel rarely allowed himself sexual innuendos in private, much less in front of the more important angels and demons.

However, they recomposed fairly quickly.

“I’m pretty szure a professzional angel like you will be able to keep hisz handsz for himself even if I am around. You are famous for rezsiting temptation after all, aren’t you?” They winked at him and Gabriel had to bite the inside of his cheek to ground himself.

It wasn’t fair, they knew his weak spots. And it was probably quite blasphemous, but the whole “being tempted” never failed to get him hot and bothered in seconds.

“I was just informing you, Beelzebub. We both know you can’t tempt me into anything”.

“Isz that a challenge, _dear_?”

_Fuck. _

“No”. He said, fighting hard to regain control over himself.

“Pity”. The demon answered, “You know I can’t resziszt one”.

Gabriel kept silent, willing his features as neutral as possible, afraid of what he wanted to do to the demon right now being somehow readable in his face.

“So, we agree on hotelsz, right? Then our next szuggesztion…” They said, while looking full of themselves.

The rest of the meeting went by without much more happening except some more arguing about the treaty and the agreement to meet in a week, with new suggestions.

Overall, Gabriel felt it went well. Sure, they were still quite far away of obtaining harmony, but definitely closer than they had been in the last 6000 years.

He was satisfied.

Now, all he had to do was a quick meeting with the rest of archangels to discuss what had just happened and he could go home with Beelzebub again and just rest.

It didn’t scape him the irony of being looking forward to leave Heaven just to be able to be on Earth, but he guessed that was part of being in love.

He stood up and walked towards Beelzebub.

“It was a pleasure meeting with you. I look forward to finish this treaty” He smiled and offered them his hand.

The demon took it and Gabriel felt a small note being pushed against his hand.

“The pleasure had been all oursz” they replied, sarcasm evident in their voice.

They quickly let go and followed their demons outside, without looking back. They were the best actor of the two, after all.

He glanced over his shoulders, to make sure that the rest of the angels were not looking in his direction and opened the note.

Written messily on the paper were the words “stop flirting with me in public, you asszhole. XX” and he couldn’t help the soft smile that appeared in his face. And the heartbeat his heart skipped.

And once again, he thought that the love he was feeling could only be godsent.

Maybe this was Her Plan after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!
> 
> So yeah, this is the end. I lowkey can't believe it is finished.   
I won't lie to you, this story has meant a lot for me, I have enjoyed writing it SO MUCH and having you read me and commenting me have been amazing. I am sad it has come to an end, but happy I've had this.  
I am planning another ineffable bureaucracy fic because I just don't want to say goodbye to these idiots yet.  
Thank you so much for your support. Thank you to those who commented each chapter from the beggining of the story and to those who just let me know from time to time that they were enjoying it. Thank you for every kudo as well. 
> 
> If you want to be updated about my regular bullshit and when I start writing the next fic, my tumblr is @augi-goes-writing
> 
> I hoped you enjoyed this fic.


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